| Document | Document Title |
|---|---|
| US09974611B2 |
Ergonomic surgical glove
Disclosed is a surgical glove that alleviates the biasing force associated with bending or abducting the hand and fingers when wearing a surgical glove. |
| US09974609B2 |
Devices and methods for delivering energy to body lumens
A medical device is disclosed for delivering energy to a body lumen. The device includes an elongate member including a proximal portion and a distal portion adapted for insertion into a body lumen; and an energy delivery device disposed adjacent the distal portion of the elongate member, the energy delivery device including at least one elongate electrode arm, wherein the elongate electrode arm is configured to transition between a first configuration and a second configuration different than the first configuration. The at least one elongate electrode arm includes an active region configured to contact and deliver energy to the body lumen. When the elongate electrode arm is in the first configuration, at least a portion of the active region of the elongate electrode arm extends radially inward toward a longitudinal axis of the energy delivery device. |
| US09974608B2 |
Determining absence of contact for a catheter
A method, including injecting a current between an electrode of a catheter and tissue in proximity to the catheter, the catheter having a force sensor configured to measure a force between the catheter and the tissue. The method further includes measuring a succession of phase shifts of the current relative to a fixed reference and verifying that a cardinality of the measured phase shifts falling below a predetermined threshold increases over a predetermined time period. A zero-force point for the force sensor is calibrated according to the force measured by the force sensor during the predetermined time period. |
| US09974606B2 |
Electrosurgical instrument
An electrosurgical instrument includes an elongated housing having proximal and distal ends. The proximal end is configured to couple to a source of electrosurgical energy via first and second channels extending along a length of the housing to the distal end thereof. The distal end includes a reflector having a dielectric load operably coupled thereto and configured to receive at least a portion of the first conductor therein. In a first mode of operation, electrosurgical energy is transmitted to the first channel and reflected from the reflector to electrosurgically treat tissue. The reflector is configured to receive at least a portion of the second channel therein. In a second mode of operation, electrosurgical energy is transmitted to the second channel to dissect tissue. |
| US09974595B2 |
Systems and methods for optimizing emissions from simultaneous activation of electrosurgery generators
A modular electrosurgical generator platform is presented including a power supply module configured to output power, a first energy module configured to receive the power and convert the power into a first waveform having a first phase, and to deliver the power in a first energy mode, and a second energy module configured to receive the power and convert the power into a second waveform having a second phase, and to deliver the power in a second energy mode. The modular electrosurgical generator platform also includes a host controller module to control a type and a number of energy modalities, a comparator for comparing the first phase of the first waveform with the second phase of the second waveform in one or more of a plurality of sub-periods and an adjustment module for adjusting a relative phase between the first and second waveforms based on results obtained from the comparator. |
| US09974593B2 |
Neuromodulation and associated systems and methods for the treatment of sexual dysfunction
Methods for treating erectile dysfunction with therapeutic neuromodulation and associated systems and methods are disclosed herein. Erectile dysfunction can be characterized by the inability to develop and/or maintain an erection during sexual arousal or activity. One aspect of the present technology is directed to methods that at least partially inhibit sympathetic neural activity in nerves innervating the penis of a patient. Sympathetic drive in the patient can thereby be reduced in a manner that treats the patient for erectile dysfunction. Sympathetic nerve activity can be modulated along afferent and/or efferent pathways. The modulation can be achieved, for example, using an intravascularly positioned catheter carrying a therapeutic assembly, e.g., a therapeutic assembly configured to use electrically-induced, thermally-induced, and/or chemically-induced approaches to modulate the nerves. |
| US09974591B2 |
System for attaching a piece of osteosynthesis equipment
A system for attaching a piece of osteosynthesis equipment against a bone tissue includes at least a screw, and a screwdriver having a handle extended by a rod with an adapter to engage the screw. A portion of the guide member of the screwdriver protrudes in front of the end-piece of the screwdriver and extends along or around a portion of the screw to guide the screw in axial translation. The guide member has a front end forming an abutment of the screwdriver against the surface of the piece of osteosynthesis equipment on completion of a predefined depth of screwing of the screw into the bone tissue. The guide member can be set at a chosen length of extension, corresponding to a predefined depth of insertion of the screw. After insertion, the screw can be severed, and optionally fused with the piece of equipment to reinforce the locking of same. |
| US09974589B2 |
Bone cement mixing cartridge and method of use
A container for bone cement includes a first member defining a chamber, which contains a first ingredient. The chamber also includes a second member movably coupled to the first member. The second member includes a mixing device that is movably disposed within the first chamber, and the second member defines a second chamber containing a second ingredient. The container additional includes an opening device that selectively opens the second chamber and allows the second ingredient to enter from the second chamber into the first chamber. The mixing device is movable within the first chamber to promote mixing of the first ingredient and the second ingredient to prepare the bone cement. A corresponding method of preparing bone cement also disclosed. |
| US09974586B2 |
Composite material bone implant
Radiolucent composite implants. Some embodiments include reconfiguration indicators. Some embodiments include radio-opaque markers, especially along contours. Some embodiments are provided in kit form with accessories such as radiolucent drill guides and/or drives. Some embodiments have fiber reinforcement adapted for various usage scenarios. Some embodiments include metal components, for example, to increase strength. Also described are manufacturing methods. |
| US09974585B2 |
Articles comprising reversibly attached screws comprising a biodegradable composition, methods of manufacture thereof and uses thereof
Disclosed herein is an article comprising a first screw and a second screw, the first screw being reversibly attached to the second screw such that a longitudinal axis of the first screw coincides with or is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the second screw; the first screw and the second screw each comprising a biodegradable composition, the biodegradable composition comprising a metal or metal alloy comprising magnesium, strontium, zinc, calcium or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing. Methods of making and using the article are also disclosed herein. |
| US09974584B2 |
Locking Web Plate
A bone plate for fixation to a phalanx includes a head extending from a first end to a second end and having first and second fixation element holes extending therethrough, a connection portion extending from the second end of the head to a third end along the central longitudinal axis, the connection portion including an oblong hole elongated in a direction parallel to the central longitudinal axis, and a shaft extending from the third end of the connection portion to a fourth end along the central longitudinal axis. The shaft includes third and fourth fixation element holes extending along the central longitudinal axis. The shaft includes a plurality of first projections and a plurality of second projections. The first and second projections include corresponding projection fixation element holes extending therethrough and being connected to the shaft. The first and second projections are alternatingly provided on the shaft. |
| US09974583B2 |
Bone plate
A bone plate includes a first through hole extending through the plate along a first longitudinal axis from a proximal surface of the plate to a bone-facing distal surface thereof which, when the plate is placed on a target portion of bone in a desired orientation, faces the bone. An outer wall of the first through hole includes three wall sections provided with projections for receiving a screw head of a bone screw. The three wall sections are straight or convex. |
| US09974582B1 |
Orthopedic surgical implants and methods
Orthopedic surgical implant methods include placing an implant plate against a lateral greater trochanteric surface of a femur; installing at least one proximal compression fastener through the implant plate and through a greater trochanter and one of a fractured bone, a pretrochanteric neck fracture and a femoral neck fracture and into a femoral head of the femur, respectively; and installing at least one distal tension fastener through the implant plate and through a portion of a diaphysis of the femur and through the fractured femoral neck and into the femoral head of the femur, respectively, the at least one distal tension fastener intersecting the at least one proximal compression fastener in the femoral head. Orthopedic surgical implants are also disclosed. |
| US09974581B2 |
Expandable intramedullary systems and methods of using the same
Intramedullary systems, expandable intramedullary nails, expandable anchors, and methods of using the same. The intramedullary system may include an expandable intramedullary nail configured to extend into an intramedullary canal of a long bone and/or one or more expandable anchors configured to extend at an angle transverse to the intramedullary nail. The intramedullary nails and/or anchors may include one or more integrated expansion mechanisms that allow for insertion in a contracted configuration and expansion into a deployed configuration to lock the relative position and prevent axial rotation and translation of the system. |
| US09974576B2 |
Lateral spinous process spacer
Interspinous process implants are disclosed. Also disclosed are systems and kits including such implants, methods of inserting such implants, and methods of alleviating pain or discomfort associated with the spinal column. |
| US09974575B2 |
Expandable spinal fixation system
Expandable spinal fixation assemblies, systems, and methods thereof. An expandable spinal fixation system may include expandable barrel assembly including an upper barrel half and a lower barrel half and a fixed barrel assembly. The fixed barrel assembly is insertable between the upper barrel half and the lower barrel half such that the fixed barrel assembly is clamped between the upper barrel half and the lower barrel half. Each of the expandable barrel assembly and the fixed barrel assembly includes fixation plates adapted to secure spinous processes to the fixation system. |
| US09974570B2 |
Transverse connector
A transverse connector system having a first and a second locking element. The present invention also provides transverse rod having opposing first and second ends, the first end being retained within a portion of the first locking element and the second end being retained within a portion of the second locking element. The first locking element is configured with a connector body for engaging and capturing an elongated rod and a transverse rod simultaneously. |
| US09974566B2 |
Hand-held device for piercing a human or animal skin, and needle module
A hand-held device for piercing a human or animal skin, comprises a housing, a drive device, which is arranged in the housing and is suitable for repeatedly providing a feed motion. The device also comprises a piercing device, which is formed in the housing with a needle and is coupled directly or, via a coupling device, indirectly to the drive device in such a way that the feed motion provided by the drive device can be introduced onto the piercing device. There is a housing opening, relative to which the needle moves forwards and backwards during operation, and a piercing depth adjuster, which is coupled to the piercing device in such a way that the piercing depth adjuster is displaceable relative to the tip of the needle and is entrained with the needle as the needle moves forwards/backwards during operation. |
| US09974565B2 |
Instruments, systems and methods for improving hair transplantation
Instruments, systems and methods are provided for efficient loading, indexing and replacement of cartridges for storing, for example, hair grafts. In addition, an improved urging mechanism for expelling hair grafts from a receptacle of a storage cartridge is provided, as well as a method of its operation. Furthermore, cartridges with a plurality of receptacles comprising slots for loading hair grafts are disclosed. |
| US09974564B2 |
Methods and devices for the prevention of incisional surgical site infections
A surgical access device for facilitating access through an incision to a surgical site in a patient's body has a pliable membrane which is configured to engage and expand the incision. The pliable membrane includes a base layer, a permeable membrane attached to the base layer, and a fluid channel disposed between the layers. The fluid channel is fluidly coupled to a fluid source. The fluid is delivered to the surgical site via the permeable membrane. The surgical access device may also have a locking mechanism for holding the device in a desired configuration. |
| US09974556B2 |
Method for inserting endoscopic device into hollow organ using guide wire
In a disclosed method for inserting an endoscopic device, in a state in which a guide wire is inserted through an opening of a hollow organ of a subject, the guide wire is indwelt in the hollow organ. Next, a flexible endoscope is made to approach the opening of the hollow organ. Next, inside of the body of the subject, an endoscopic device that projects from the tip of a channel of the endoscope slidably engages with the guide wire. Next, the endoscopic device is inserted into the hollow organ through the opening, along the guide wire. The guide wire that is indwelt once is subsequently used as a guide for second and subsequent insertions of endoscopic devices. |
| US09974553B2 |
Electrosurgery devices and methods for providing electric energy treatment
A medical device including an energy generator, a proximal end, and a distal end. The proximal end may include a handle and one or more connectors coupled to the energy generator. The distal end may include a number of movable branch members connected to one or more movable filaments at the distal end to form at least one expandable snare. At least one of the one or more movable filaments may be coupled to the one or more connectors to transfer energy to the at least one of the one or more movable filaments. A portion of the at least one of the one or more movable filaments forming the at least one expandable snare may be insulated. |
| US09974552B2 |
Oscillating lithotripter
A tip element for a lithotripter is provided. The tip element includes a proximal end configured for attachment to a waveguide of the lithotripter and a distal end configured for placement against at least one urinary tract stone. The lithotripter transmits energy from the tip element to the at least one urinary tract stone to break up the at least one urinary tract stone into fragments. The tip element may further include a tip element passage that extends between the proximal end and the distal end. The tip element passage communicates with a lumen of the waveguide for at least one of suctioning and irrigating a urinary tract. The distal end has one or more sharp edges to maintain contact between the at least one urinary tract stone and the distal end during suctioning. The distal end may be configured to limit the size of fragments from the at least one urinary tract stone drawn into the tip element passage during suctioning. |
| US09974551B2 |
Surgical templates
A surgical template system for use in working on a bone comprises: a tool guide block comprising at least one guide aperture for receiving and guiding a tool to work on a bone; locating means comprising a plurality of locating members, each member having a respective end surface for positioning against a surface of the bone; and attachment means for non-adjustably attaching the tool guide block to the locating means such that, when attached, the member end surfaces are secured in fixed position with, respect to each other, for engaging different respective portions of the surface of the bone, and the at least one guide aperture is secured in a fixed position with respect to the end surfaces. Corresponding methods of manufacturing a surgical template system, methods of manufacturing locating means for a surgical template system, methods of fitting a prosthesis to a bone, surgical methods, and surgical apparatus are described. |
| US09974546B2 |
Remote traction and guidance system for mini-invasive surgery
A guide and remote traction system for mini-invasive surgery in a body cavity that is easily positioned and hooked and causes lower injury, comprising: at least one detachable surgical endoclamp (10) with hooking means (11, 12), assembled with an introduction guide (20) and at an initially open position; and at a naturally closed position when detached from said introduction guide (20) by a detachment mechanism; said endoclamp (10) comprising a portion of ferromagnetic material at the end opposed to said hooking means (11, 12); a cylindrically-shaped introduction guide (20) assembled with said detachable surgical endoclamp (10), said introduction guide (20) comprising a mechanism to detach said endoclamp (10); and at least one remote traction means (30) for said endoclamp (10), acting through the application of an electromagnetic field over the ferromagnetic portion of said endoclamp (10). |
| US09974542B2 |
Surgical apparatus including surgical buttress
A surgical stapling apparatus includes a housing, an end effector, fasteners, and one or more surgical buttresses. The end effector is secured to the housing and has first and second jaw assemblies. The first jaw assembly defines slots and the second jaw assembly defines pockets. One or both of the first and second jaw assemblies define recesses. The fasteners are disposed in the slots of the first jaw assembly and are formed by the pockets of the second jaw assembly. The one or more surgical buttresses have a body that includes plugs that are integrally formed with the body for insertion into the recesses to secure the surgical buttress(es) to one or both of the first and second jaw assemblies. The body substantially overlies at least some of the slots of the first jaw assembly and/or at least some of the pockets of the second jaw assembly. |
| US09974537B2 |
Instruments and methods for complete plantar plate repairs
Surgical repair systems and techniques for plantar plate repairs. The surgical repair systems and methods reconstruct the plantar plate through a dorsal incision. The surgical repair system embodies a variety of instruments that provide visualization and access to the plantar plate using suture to complete the repair. The repair system may include some or all of the following instruments: a metatarsal head pusher employed in open surgical space, to move the “capital fragment” in a controlled manner; a suture retriever instrument and a suture retriever funnel (sleeve); a suture passer such as a Mini Scorpion DX and accompanying needle, or a variety of shaped Micro Suture Lassos; a measuring guide; and a small joint distractor. |
| US09974536B2 |
Anvil assemblies and delivery systems
An anvil assembly suitable for trans-oral delivery includes an anvil head configured to receive a suture that secures the anvil head in a delivery position and is separable from the anvil head following delivery of the anvil assembly. An anvil delivery assembly includes the anvil assembly, a delivery assembly secured to the anvil assembly, and a suture selectively secured to the anvil assembly for securing the anvil assembly in a delivery position and retrieving the anvil assembly. |
| US09974533B2 |
Dilation system and method of using the same
A method of forming an access opening through a psoas muscle to a patient's spine includes laterally inserting a stimulating dilator into the psoas muscle. The stimulating dilator has a stimulation channel formed in an outer surface thereof. An electrical pulse is transmitted via an EMG into the stimulating dilator to locate a position of a nerve in the patient's psoas muscle. The stimulating dilator is laterally inserted through the psoas muscle and toward the patient's spine in a way that avoids the nerve. A stimulating probe is inserted into the stimulation channel along the outer surface of the stimulating dilator while transmitting an electrical pulse via the EMG into the stimulating probe to verify the position of the nerve. |
| US09974532B2 |
Clip for organ retraction during minimally invasive surgery
Provided herein is a clip for organ retraction or organ exposure during minimal invasive surgery wherein the clip comprises a body made of a biocompatible material wherein the body comprises at least two generally opposing first and second segments that form a jaw defined by a separation between the two segments; wherein the two segments each comprise distal and proximal ends wherein the proximal ends may be directly connected or connected through one or more segments within the body of the clip and wherein the clip defines at least four configurations a resting configuration, an open configuration, a grabbing configuration, and a sliding configuration. |
| US09974530B2 |
Tissue securing and sealing apparatus and related methods of use
Embodiments of the invention may be directed to apparatuses for securing and sealing tissue and related methods of use. |
| US09974527B2 |
Shaped circuit boards suitable for use in electrosurgical devices and rotatable assemblies including same
An electrosurgical instrument includes a housing having an elongated shaft extending therefrom and a rotatable member disposed on the housing and operably connected to the elongated shaft. The elongated shaft defines a longitudinal axis extending therealong. The rotatable member is configured to rotate the elongated shaft about the longitudinal axis upon actuation thereof. The rotatable member includes an inner surface defining an interior space therein configured to house at least one printed circuit board about the elongated shaft. |
| US09974525B2 |
Computed tomography enhanced fluoroscopic system, device, and method of utilizing the same
A system and method for enhanced navigation for use during a surgical procedure including planning a navigation path to a target using a first data set of computed tomography images previously acquired; navigating a marker placement device to the target using the navigation path; placing a plurality of markers in tissue proximate the target; acquiring a second data set of computed tomography images including the plurality of markers; planning a second navigation path to a second target using the second data set of computed tomography images; navigating a medical instrument to a second target; capturing fluoroscopic data of tissue proximate the target; and registering the fluoroscopic data to the second data set of computed tomography images based on marker position and orientation within the real-time fluoroscopic data and the second data set of computed tomography images. |
| US09974523B2 |
Biopsy sample storage
A biopsy device may be used to obtain and store multiple tissue samples. The device permits the tissue samples to be stored in a sequenced fashion within a generally transparent tissue storage chamber disposed at a proximal end of the biopsy device. The tissue samples can be stored on flexible tissue sample strips arranged around the circumference of a rotating vacuum manifold disposed within the chamber. |
| US09974521B2 |
Computer-aided lesion detection and track planning for MRI-guided breast biopsy
The system and method of the invention pertains to an MR-guided breast biopsy procedure, specifically as to quickly identifying the biopsy location. More particularly, the system utilizes a diagnostic imaging modality such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to locate one or more lesions in a human breast. Non-rigid registration between uncompressed screening images (where the lesion has been previously identified) and the compressed biopsy images enables easier identification of the biopsy site, hence shortening the biopsy procedure. |
| US09974517B2 |
Ultrasound endoscope
An ultrasound endoscope includes: an insertion portion configured to be inserted into a subject; a distal end portion provided at a distal end of the insertion portion and including at least one fitting groove; an ultrasound transducer unit configured to be attachable to and detachable from the distal end portion and including at least one projecting portion configured to be freely fitted into the fitting groove and projecting outside in a diameter direction K of the distal end portion; and a gap for removal of the ultrasound transducer unit, the gap being formed between the projecting portion fitted in the fitting groove and the fitting groove. |
| US09974508B2 |
Non-invasive systems and methods for determining fractional flow reserve
Non-invasive systems and methods for determining fractional flow reserve. At least one method of determining fractional flow reserve within a luminal organ of the present disclosure comprising the steps of positioning a monitoring device external to a luminal organ and near a stenosis, the monitoring device capable of determining at least one characteristic of the stenosis, operating the monitoring device to determine the at least one characteristic of the stenosis, and determining fractional flow reserve at or near the stenosis based upon the at least one characteristic determined by the monitoring device. |
| US09974506B2 |
Associating coronary angiography image annotations with syntax scores for assessment of coronary artery disease
Embodiments relate to associating coronary angiography image annotations with SYNTAX score for assessment of coronary artery disease. Aspects include receiving and processing a plurality of angiogram videos from a coronary angiography study into a plurality of frames, selecting and displaying a key frame from the plurality of frames for each angiogram video in a browsing interface, and receiving a selection of one of the key frame from a user. Aspects further include displaying the angiogram video associated with the selected key frame in a video viewer interface, receiving a lesion annotation from the user for a frame of the angiogram video, and displaying a SYNTAX score questionnaire in the video viewer interface. Aspects further include annotating the frame of the angiogram video with the answers to the SYNTAX score questionnaire from the user and saving the answers to the SYNTAX score questionnaire with the annotated frame in a database. |
| US09974505B2 |
X-ray device and method for controlling X-ray irradiation area using the same
An X-ray device includes a camera to image an object and output the image of the object, a display member using a touch screen to display the image of the object output from the camera, and an X-ray irradiation region of the object, an X-ray irradiation region controller to control a region of the object to which an X-ray is irradiated, and a control member to enable the irradiation region controller to control the region of the object to which an X-ray is irradiated according to the X-ray irradiation region, when the X-ray irradiation region is determined, based on the image of the object displayed in the display member. |
| US09974502B2 |
Mobile base and X-ray machine mounted on such a mobile base
A mobile base designed to receive an X-ray machine is provided. An X-ray machine capable of being mounted on the mobile base is also provided. The X-ray machine of the invention is configured to move using a motor-driven system associated with a navigation system. The navigation system of the invention enables the X-ray machine to be moved automatically and with precision from one position to another within an examination, hybrid or operation room. The X-ray machine is also configured for the automatic positioning of the moving parts around the patient, while at the same time keeping the region to be subjected to radiography within an X-ray beam. |
| US09974497B2 |
Brake system and medical apparatus including the same
A brake apparatus provided on a body of a medical apparatus, the brake apparatus including: a rail unit; a lever unit configured to rotate with respect to a rotational shaft; an elastic member provided on the lever unit at a first end of the lever unit and configured to provide an elastic force to rotate the lever unit; a wedge provided on a second end opposite to the first end of the lever unit, configured to be inserted into the rail unit according to rotation of the lever unit and configured to apply braking pressure on the rail unit. |
| US09974492B1 |
Health monitoring and communications device
Devices, systems and methods for reconfigurable and/or updatable lightweight embedded devices or systems are disclosed. Via use of such a device, system, or method, various capabilities for a user are provided, simplified, secured, and/or made more convenient. The system may interact with various other devices or systems, including those that are cloud-based or communicate through the cloud, and may utilize various local sensors, in order to provide one or more of improved access, monitoring, diagnostics, and so forth. |
| US09974491B2 |
Detecting indications of intradialytic morbid events by measurement of relative blood volume, blood pressure and heart rate
A method of detecting an indication of a potential intradialytic morbid event (IME) by monitoring a patient's condition during excess fluid removal by ultrafiltration during a hemodialysis treatment includes determining the patient's relative blood volume (RBV), and removing a portion of the volume of excess fluid from blood of the patient at an initial ultrafiltration rate while periodically monitoring a second derivative over time of the relative blood volume (SDRBV). The method then includes continuing to remove excess fluid from blood of the patient at the same ultrafilration rate, or, optionally, incrementally increasing the ultrafiltration rate. The method further includes triggering an alarm for an IME for the patient if the SDRBV is in a range of between a low SDRBV alarm level and a high SDRBV alarm level, and, alternatively or additionally monitoring the patient's normalized blood pressure ratio, and taking a remedial action if the alarm is triggered. |
| US09974490B2 |
Method and device for segmenting a medical examination object with quantitative magnetic resonance imaging
In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for segmenting image data of an examination object, raw data of the examination object are achieved with the operation of a magnetic resonance scanner. Quantitative image data of the examination object are then calculated in a processor from the raw data. At least one physical variable of the examination object is quantitatively ascertained pixelwise and is displayed. The quantitative image data are segmented for identification of predetermined objects in the quantitative image data, and displayed in a display unit. |
| US09974487B2 |
Heart rate detection module, and detection and denoising method thereof
A heart rate detection module including a PPG measuring device, a motion sensor and a processing unit is provided. The PPG measuring device is configured to detect a skin surface in a detection period to output a PPG signal. The motion sensor is configured to output an acceleration signal corresponding to the detection period. The processing unit is configured to respectively convert the PPG signal and the acceleration signal to first frequency domain information and second frequency domain information, determine a denoising parameter according to a maximum spectrum peak value of the second frequency domain information to denoise the first frequency domain information, and calculate a heart rate according to a maximum spectrum peak value of the denoised first frequency domain information. |
| US09974486B2 |
Measurement information display apparatus, measurement information display system, and measurement information display method
A measurement information display system includes a measuring apparatus that measures biological and/or behavioral information of a user, and the measurement information display apparatus. The display apparatus includes a display unit with a screen; a communication unit that communications with the measuring apparatus to acquire the information, and a display control unit that causes the display unit to display a plurality of graphs on the screen, where the graphs represent the information. The graphs include a first graph located on a first portion of the screen and a second graph located on a second portion of the screen overlapping the first portion. |
| US09974484B2 |
Methods, devices and systems for sensor with removable nodes
An integrated adhesive sensor array includes an adhesive a patch, a sensor hub, and a detachable sensor pod packaged as a unit. The patch may include a docking area for the detachable sensor pod. The detachable sensor pod may include at least one sensor and may be configured to be detached from the patch and applied to various locations on a body. The detachable sensor pod may send sensor data to the sensor hub via a wired link when on the patch and via a wireless link when detached from the patch. The sensor hub receives sensor data from the various sensors, and relays the data to a receiver. The sensor hub and detachable sensor pod may include indicators for communicating information. The sensor hub may include a power source for powering the sensor hub and a detachable sensor pod attached to the main sensor unit or patch. |
| US09974482B2 |
Mobile terminal and method of controlling the same
A mobile terminal according to the present invention includes a terminal main body, a user input unit provided at the terminal main body and capable of receiving a control command for executing a specific function, a sensor unit provided adjacent to the user input unit and capable of sensing biometric information during the reception of the control command, and a controller capable of executing the specific function based on the control command and calculating a blood pressure value using the biometric information. |
| US09974481B2 |
Bands for measuring biometric information
In some aspects, a system is provided that includes (1) a wrist band having one or more sensors that measure biometric data of a user wearing the band; and (2) a display on the band that displays a message based on biometric data measured by the band. The message indicates a heart rate zone of the user. Numerous other aspects are provided. |
| US09974477B2 |
Quantification of renal denervation via alterations in renal blood flow pre/post ablation
A renal denervation catheter includes a catheter shaft, at least one ablation member, and a sensor, and is operable to perform a renal denervation procedure. The catheter shaft includes a distal end portion insertable into a renal artery. The at least one ablation member is positioned at the distal end portion of the catheter shaft and operable to ablate renal nerves along a wall of the renal artery. The sensor provides information that correlates to blood flow in the renal artery. A change in blood flow rate in the renal artery resulting from the ablation is indicative of the efficacy of the renal denervation procedure. |
| US09974474B2 |
System and method for analyzing progress of labor and preterm labor
Systems and methods for monitoring uterus contraction activity and progress of labor. The system of the subject invention can comprises (1) a plurality of sensors; (2) an amplifying/filtering means; (3) a computing means; and (4) a graphical user interface. Accurate clinical data, which can be extracted and provided to the user in real-time using the system of the invention, include without limitation, progress of labor, prediction and monitoring of preterm labor, and intrauterine pressure prediction. In a preferred embodiment, the system of the invention includes an intelligence means, such as a neural network system, to analyze and interpret clinical data for use in clinical diagnosis as well as delivery strategy. |
| US09974472B2 |
Temperature-compensated analyte monitoring devices, systems, and methods thereof
Methods, devices and systems related providing accurate glucose levels in view of temperatures that may adversely affect glucose value. |
| US09974471B1 |
Analyte detection system and method for intradermal implantation of biocompatible optode nanosensors
A device and system for measuring and/or monitoring an analyte present on the skin is provided. The system includes a skin-mountable device that may be attached to an external skin surface and a reader device. The skin-mountable device includes a substrate, a plurality of micro-needles, and nanosensors. The micro-needles are attached to the substrate such that attachment of the substrate to an external skin surface causes to the micro-needles to penetrate into the epidermis, intradermis, or dermis. The nanosensors include a detectable label and are configured to interact with a target analyte present in the interstitial fluid in the epidermis, intradermis, or dermis. The reader device is configured to detect the analyte in interstitial fluid via interaction with the skin-mountable device. |
| US09974470B2 |
Systems and methods for a continuous monitoring of analyte values
Systems and methods for a continuous monitoring of analyte values received from an analyte sensor system are provided. One method for a wireless data communication between an analyte sensor system and a mobile device involves storing identification information associated with a transceiver of the analyte sensor system, the identification information entered by a user of the mobile device via a custom application running on the mobile device; causing the custom application to enter a background mode; searching for advertisement signals; receiving an advertisement signal from the transceiver; authenticating the transceiver based on the identification information; prompting the user to bring the custom application to a foreground mode; causing the custom application to request a confirmation from the user that a data connection with the transceiver is desired; receiving the confirmation from the user; and completing the data connection with the transceiver. |
| US09974465B2 |
Capnography device and method
There is provided a method for dynamically determining a breath related parameter, which includes averaging a breath related parameter over a first period of time, calculating a breath related value over a second period of time and adapting the duration of the first period of time according to the calculated breath related value. |
| US09974464B2 |
Image processing apparatus and magnetic resonance imaging apparatus
An image processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a processor and a memory. The memory stores processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: receive an input of information designating an observation target; extract, from each of magnetic resonance (MR) images included in an MR image group collected by applying a tagging pulse to a region where a fluid flows, a group of regions of the fluid; analyze, by an analyzing method associated with the observation target, the group of regions of the fluid extracted from each of the MR images, thereby deriving an index indicating a dynamic state of the fluid; and cause the index to be displayed on a display. |
| US09974463B2 |
Hand-held device for electrical impedance myography
A device for determining muscle condition of a region of tissue. The device comprises an electrical impedance myography (EIM) portable probe bearing an electrode array. The electrode array comprises excitation electrodes used to apply multi-frequency electrical signals to the region of tissue and pickup electrodes that are used to collect electrical signals resulting from the application of the multi-frequency electrical signals to the region of tissue. To improve accuracy and reproducibility of EIM measurements, the electrode array is reconfigurable to select different subsets of excitation and pickup electrodes so that the electrodes are oriented differently with respect to muscle fibers. Additional devices may be associated with the EIM probe to measure such parameters as temperature, moisture content of the region, quality of contact of electrodes of the electrode array with a surface of the region and pressure with which the EEM probe is applied to the region. The EIM measurements may be adjusted based on these parameters. Also, ultrasound and electrical impedance tomography measurements may supplement the ELM measurements for more complete analysis of the muscle condition. |
| US09974461B2 |
Electrocardiogram (ECG) sensor chip, system on chip (SoC), and wearable appliance
An ECG sensor chip used in a wearable appliance includes; a switch controlled by a switching signal, an amplifier that amplifies a difference between first and second ECG signals, and a location indicator that generates the switching signal. The switch passes either a first ECG signal or second ECG signal in response to the switching signal. |
| US09974458B2 |
Non-local mean filtering for electrophysiological signals
A method can include storing input electrical signal data representing at least a given electrophysiological signal acquired from a patient. A non-local mean filter can be applied to the given electrophysiological signal, the non-local mean filter including a spatial filter component and an intensity filter component. The method can also include controlling parameters to establish weighting of each of the spatial filter component and the intensity filter component in response to a control input. Filtered signal data can be stored based on the applying and the controlling. |
| US09974457B2 |
Assessing intra-cardiac activation patterns
Techniques for evaluating cardiac electrical dyssynchrony are described. In some examples, an activation time is determined for each of a plurality of torso-surface potential signals. The dispersion or sequence of these activation times may be analyzed or presented to provide variety of indications of the electrical dyssynchrony of the heart of the patient. In some examples, the locations of the electrodes of the set of electrodes, and thus the locations at which the torso-surface potential signals were sensed, may be projected on the surface of a model torso that includes a model heart. The inverse problem of electrocardiography may be solved to determine electrical activation times for regions of the model heart based on the torso-surface potential signals sensed from the patient. |
| US09974456B2 |
Cardiac potential measuring device and cardiac potential measuring method
A cardiac potential measuring device comprising: a first electrode and a second electrode; a potential difference acquisition circuitry that acquires a potential difference between the first electrode and the second electrode as cardiac potential; an attachment direction detector that detects an attachment direction that is a direction of a virtual line that connects the first electrode and the second electrode attached to the body of the user; and an attachment direction calculator that calculates and outputs a preferred attachment direction in which the potential difference larger than any one of a first potential difference and a second potential difference is generated. |
| US09974450B2 |
Measuring central pressure with brachial cuff
A method for determining a calibrated aortic pressure waveform from a brachial cuff waveform involves the use of one or more generalized transfer functions. The one or more generalized transfer functions are specific for predetermined brachial cuff pressure ranges, such as below diastolic pressure, between diastolic and systolic pressure, and above systolic pressure. The brachial cuff is inflated to a pressure within the pressure range appropriate for the generalized transfer function to be applied to the brachial cuff waveform to generate the aortic pressure waveform. In some circumstances, it may be necessary to use a calibration transfer function to generate a calibrated aortic waveform. In other circumstances, the calibration transfer function is not necessary. |
| US09974449B2 |
Method and apparatus for arterial blood pressure measurement and individualized rectifying technology
A method and apparatus for indirect, quantitative estimation of beat-to-beat arterial blood pressure utilizing the individualized rectifying technique. A function TK=H(P) that describes the relationship between Korotkoff's sound delay time Tk and cuff pressure P is obtained by measuring the different cuff pressure P and corresponding Tk in the Korotkoff's sound sensor that is distal to the cuff. Keep the cuff pressure at a constant value Pm, the blood pressure variance can be calculated using the Korotkoff's sound delay time Tkm, according to the function Tk=H(P). The invention can measure the beat-to-beat artery blood pressure indirectly. The technique can be applied to obtain individual coefficient of regress equation for continuous arterial blood pressure measurement by the instantaneous blood pressure fluctuation, which make the rectifying technique more safe, effective and less erroneous. The technique makes the operation of noninvasive continuous blood pressure measurement for long time more practical. |
| US09974447B2 |
Method for measuring blood pressure, and apparatus for measuring blood pressure based on said method
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a blood pressure measuring apparatus including a pressure sensor unit configured to sense an atmospheric pressure, an applied pressure, and a blood pressure of a blood vessel delivered to a skin and output an electrical signal indicating a result of sensing the pressures, while in contact with the skin; a signal division unit configured to receive the electrical signal and divide the electrical signal into a divided electrical signal which includes a direct current (DC) signal and an alternating current (AC) signal; a signal processor unit configured to process the divided electrical signal; and a blood pressure calculation unit configured to calculate the applied pressure using the processed electrical signal and calculate a blood pressure average using the calculated applied pressure and a swing value of the electrical. |
| US09974446B2 |
Mounting structures for components of intravascular devices
Intravascular devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, the intravascular devices include at least one mounting structure within a distal portion of the device. In that regard, one or more electronic, optical, and/or electro-optical component is coupled to the mounting structure. In some instances, the mounting structure is formed of a plurality of material layers. In some embodiments, the material layers have substantially constant thicknesses. Methods of making and/or assembling such intravascular devices/systems are also provided. |
| US09974445B2 |
Method, apparatus for presenting information in a monitor and a monitor
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for presenting information on a monitor. The method comprising presenting a clock panel according to a range of time at which information to be presented is generated and marking information at a corresponding position on the clock panel according to a time at which the information is generated. The apparatus comprising a clock-panel presenting module for presenting a clock panel according to a range of time at which information to be presented is generated and an information marking module for marking information at a corresponding position on the clock panel according to a time at which the information is generated. |
| US09974444B2 |
Body-worn sensor for characterizing patients with heart failure
The invention provides a sensor for measuring both impedance and ECG waveforms that is configured to be worn around a patient's neck. The sensor features 1) an ECG system that includes an analog ECG circuit, in electrical contact with at least two ECG electrodes, that generates an analog ECG waveform; and 2) an impedance system that includes an analog impedance circuit, in electrical contact with at least two (and typically four) impedance electrodes, that generates an analog impedance waveform. Also included in the neck-worn system are a digital processing system featuring a microprocessor, and an analog-to-digital converter. During a measurement, the digital processing system receives and processes the analog ECG and impedance waveforms to measure physiological information from the patient. Finally, a cable that drapes around the patient's neck connects the ECG system, impedance system, and digital processing system. |
| US09974443B2 |
Devices, systems, and methods and associated display screens for assessment of vessels
Devices, systems, and methods for visually depicting a vessel and evaluating treatment options are disclosed. The methods can include obtaining pressure measurements from first and second instruments positioned within a vessel of a patient while the second instrument is moved longitudinally through the vessel from a first position to a second position and the first instrument remains stationary within the vessel; and outputting a visual representation of the pressure measurements obtained by the first and second instruments on a display, the output visual representation including a graphical display of a pressure ratio of the obtained pressure measurements and at least a portion of a pressure waveform of the obtained pressure measurements identifying a diagnostic period utilized in calculating the pressure ratio. |
| US09974440B2 |
Photoacoustic image generation device and method
A desired structure is selectively imaged by photoacoustic imaging. Photoacoustic signals are detected, and the detected photoacoustic signals are reconstructed to generate photoacoustic image data. A Fourier transform in a two-dimensional or higher dimensional space is applied to the photoacoustic image data to generate spatial frequency domain photoacoustic image data. Given spatial frequency components are extracted from the spatial frequency domain photoacoustic image data, and an inverse Fourier transform is applied to the extracted spatial frequency components to generate spatial frequency-processed photoacoustic image data. |
| US09974438B2 |
Hand-held medical-data capture-device having variation amplification and interoperation with an electronic medical record system on a specific segment of a network
In one implementation, an apparatus estimates body core temperature from an infrared measurement of an external source point using a cubic relationship between the body core temperature and the measurement of an external source point is described, estimates temperature from a digital infrared sensor and determines vital signs from a solid-state image transducer, or determines vital signs from a solid-state image transducer and estimates body core temperature from an infrared measurement of an external source point using a cubic relationship between the body core temperature and the measurement of an external source point; after which the estimated and/or determined information is transmitted to an external database. |
| US09974436B2 |
Ophthalmic apparatus, and treatment site measuring method for the apparatus
The present invention relates to an ophthalmic apparatus and to a treatment site measuring method for the apparatus. The ophthalmic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a first image unit for capturing the lower region of a retina so as to generate an image of the captured retina; a second image unit for capturing the local region of the retina indicated by a surgical operator so as to generate an image of the captured local region of the retina; and a control unit for mapping the image of the local region of the retina generated by the second image unit to the image of the retina generated by the first image unit based on the image of the retina generated by the first image unit. |
| US09974430B2 |
Ingestible endoscopic optical scanning device
An ingestible scanning device includes, in an embodiment, a capsule housing having a transparent window and sized so as to be ingestible, a photo-sensing array located within the capsule housing, a mirror located within the housing and oriented to direct an image from a surface outside the transparent window to the photo-sensing array, and a light source for illuminating the surface outside the transparent window. |
| US09974428B2 |
Endoscope
An endoscope includes: a cylindrical member; a ring member, in which the cylindrical member is fixed; a recess portion provided in an outer circumferential face of the cylindrical member; a first recess wall formed in a direction around an axis in the recess portion; a second recess wall formed along a direction of the axis; a projection portion provided on an inner circumferential face of the ring member, the projection portion being engaged with a recess portion; a first contact portion that comes into contact with the first recess wall in the direction of the axis; and a second contact portion that comes into contact with the second recess wall in the direction around the axis. |
| US09974425B2 |
Method and means for positioning a high rise loop for a dishwasher's discharge hose
A high-loop bracket has a handle portion that allows a user to manipulate a hose support portion that supports an electric dishwasher's discharge hose into a position that easily forms a high rise loop. The high rise loop is fixed against a sink base cabinet by securing an easy to reach mount portion of the high-loop bracket. Preferably, the high-loop bracket is formed from a single sheet of stainless steel that is bent to create the various portions of the bracket. |
| US09974413B2 |
Machine for preparing beverages
A machine for preparing beverages, particularly for preparing espresso coffee, comprising a base (2) and a head (3) for dispensing the beverage that is provided with an extraction chamber adapted to accommodate a portion of at least one ingredient of the beverage, and in particular a dose of roasted and ground coffee, and connected to a water reservoir (4) by means of a pump (5). The machine comprises a support (6) for a container (6a) of the beverage dispensed by the dispensing head (3). The support (6) of the container of the beverage is interposed axially between the dispensing head (3) and the reservoir (4), so that the dispensing head (3), the support (6) and the reservoir (4) are crossed by an axis (A) that is substantially perpendicular to the base (2). |
| US09974408B2 |
Portable hot beverage maker or tumbler with passive cooling system
A travel mug that maintains its liquid contents at temperature while cooling portions of the beverage on demand to a safe and comfortable drinking temperature. In embodiments, a passive cooling system is integrated into the travel mug for drawing heat from the beverage as the user consumes it. In embodiments, a brewing system may be integrated to brew beverage matter into a drinkable beverage. In embodiments, a heating element may be provided to raise water to brewing temperature or to further heat the liquid in the container. |
| US09974401B2 |
Heated or cooled dishware and drinkware
An actively heated mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container is provided. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a body that receives a liquid therein and a heating or cooling system at least partially disposed in the body. The heating or cooling system can include one or more heating or cooling elements that heat a surface of the receiving portion of the body and one or more energy storage devices. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can include a wireless power receiver that wirelessly receives power from a power source and control circuitry configured to charge one or more power storage elements and to control the delivery of electricity from the one or more power storage elements to the one or more heating or cooling elements. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container also can have one or more sensors that sense a parameter of the liquid or sense a parameter of the heating or cooling system and communicates the sensed information to the control circuitry. The control circuitry can turn on, turn off, and/or operate the heating or cooling element to actively heat or cool at least a portion of the body to maintain the liquid in a heated or cooled state generally at a user selected temperature setting based at least in part on the sensed parameter information. The mug, travel mug, baby bottle, water bottle or liquid container can also be paired with a remote device or mobile electronic device to send or receive communications or commands. |
| US09974400B2 |
Support pillow
A circular-shaped support pillow (1) having a head support (2) with a top surface (3) and a bottom surface (4). The bottom surface of the head support is preferably planar. The top surface of the head support is preferably convex, thereby curving or angling downward from an apex (6) located in the center of the head support to an outer perimeter (5) of the head support. The angled top surface of the head support positions a user's jaw in a downward angled position when the individual is laying face down on the pillow of the present invention. An optional base (7) may extend downward from the bottom surface of the head support to elevate the head support and to provide additional space for the user to place his or her arms around and/or under the perimeter edge 5 the head support. |
| US09974398B2 |
Door closer mechanism for display case
A display case includes a housing partially surrounding a display space, a door pivotably coupled to the housing and cooperating with the housing to further enclose the display space, and a hinge assembly for pivotably coupling the door to the housing. The hinge assembly includes a biasing member applying a biasing force on the door and a gear drive for adjusting a pre-tension force on the biasing member. |
| US09974396B2 |
Booster seat for children
A booster seat for children, comprising a seating surface adapted for engagement with the seating surface of an adult chair, a backrest at least one pair of wings connected to the bottom side of the seating surface and designed to be angularly moved between a first position in which they are oriented parallel to the bottom side and a position in which they are lifted and oriented at an angle relative thereto, as well as a plurality of flexible elements for removable fixation of the booster seat. The seating surface of the booster seat comprises, on its rear side, at least one compartment formed below at least one of the wings, for which the wing forms a closing cover. |
| US09974391B2 |
Storage stool
A storage stool comprises a barrel-shaped wall and an end cap. Side plates and fold lines are longitudinally arranged on the barrel-shaped wall. The end cap is embedded into the top of the barrel-shaped wall. Longitudinal stiffening ribs for supporting the end cap are arranged on the side plates. A cloth cover sleeves the barrel-shaped wall. A supporting ring is mounted at the top of the barrel-shaped wall, while a bottom plate is mounted at the bottom of the barrel-shaped wall. |
| US09974390B2 |
Armrest
An armrest includes a shell convertible between a fixed position and a non-fixed position, a lock unit, and a control unit. The lock unit includes a base seat and two pivot gears, each of which has an arm segment and a gear segment having a plurality of first teeth. The control unit includes a rack having a plurality of second teeth and is operable to move between a locking position and an unlocking position. When the control unit is at the locking position, the second teeth mesh with the first teeth, the pivot gears are locked, and the shell is at the fixed position. When the control unit is at the unlocking position, the rack is away from the pivot gears, the pivot gears are pivotally rotatable, and the shell is at the non-fixed position. |
| US09974385B2 |
Shoe carousel device
A shoe carousel device that includes in one embodiment a base for stabilization and support, a support stem attached to the base and extending upwards therefrom at an approximate 90 degree angle, and a plurality of stackable shelves mounted on the support stem, including a discrete top shelf. The stackable shelves and top shelf are circular shaped with a raised outer tab and lighting disposed along their circumference and a relatively thin mesh surfacing. The top shelf includes a plurality of tilted slats which each can receive a pair of flat bottom shoes. In some embodiments, the tilted slats may extend upwards in order to increase the number of slats that can fit on the shelf. In some embodiments, the shoe carousel device also includes a foot pedal actuated motor operative to rotate the shoe carousel device. |
| US09974383B2 |
Cosmetic brush cleaning system and method for cleaning a cosmetic brush using the same
Embodiments provide a cosmetic brush cleaning system and method which spins a brush and provides centrifugal force at varying speeds to clean the brush head. The brush can be used for the application of makeup and the brush can either slide into an attachment which is then connected via a magnetic coupling mechanism to secure the brush before it is spun and cleaned, or the brush itself can be provided with the magnetic coupling component inherently in the brush. The operator of the device determines the speed that is necessary based upon the type of liquid the brush has been in contact with and the operator uses a controller to speed up or slow down the rotational mechanism. The centrifugal force removes the material sticking to the brush while it is cleaned. |
| US09974381B2 |
Cleaning device having onboard replaceable cleaning pad and onboard replaceable cleaning solution
A device for cleaning debris from a target surface. The device has a sole plate with permanent cleaning material, such as bristles, and a removable/replaceable pad. The device also has a replaceable, on-board supply of cleaning solution. The pad/cleaning solution may be replaced when depleted and replaced with a new pad/cleaning solution or may simply be replaced with a new pad/cleaning solution when that pad/cleaning solution is more suitable for a particular cleaning task. |
| US09974371B2 |
Methods and devices for supervising baggage items
The invention relates to methods and devices for supervising a baggage item using a security device comprising at least one sensor, a processor connected to said sensor, and a communication unit connected to said processor. Said method comprises the steps of monitoring (S101), by the at least one sensor, a status of a baggage item, detecting (S102), by the processor, a change in the status of the baggage item and determining (S103), based on a detected change in the status, whether a notification is to be issued, and transmitting (S104), by the communication unit, the notification to a supervision unit. |
| US09974368B1 |
Cane
The present disclosure is directed to a cane end having attachment means and force absorbing means. In some embodiments, the force absorbing means is a blade capable of deflecting, compressing, and/or flexing under load. |
| US09974366B2 |
Folding pole having a tubular sleeve
A pole comprising a pole handle and a pole tip, with at least two tube portions located therebetween, which in an assembled state of the pole are connected to one another by means of insertion connections aligned along a longitudinal pole axis A. At least one of the plug connections is realized on a second tube portion by way of a form-fit and/or force-fit locking device, wherein the second tube portion has a smaller the same outer diameter than the inner diameter of a first tube portion, and which can be inserted into the first tube portion, and which can be fixed in the relative axial position by means of the form-fit locking device. On at least one of the plug connections, a tubular sleeve having a clamping element in a receiving groove is arranged between the tubular sleeve and the lower end of the first tubular portion. |
| US09974363B2 |
Button adapter fastening system
Various embodiments of a fastening system that either attaches to existing buttons or attaches directly to an article of clothing. In preferred embodiments, the fastening system has a first portion that attaches to a button hole or a first part of the article and a second portion that attaches to a button or second part of the article. The first portion and second portion detachably attach to each other by means of a twist-lock, magnetic mechanism, or some other attachment mechanism. Alternatively, the fastening system can be built directly into an article without augmenting an existing button and button-hole fastener. |
| US09974361B2 |
Portable inflatable foldable shoes
A portable inflatable foldable shoe, including an inflatable shoe-shaped soft bag and solid bearing blocks, where the inflatable shoe-shaped soft bag is of a hollow cavity structure and includes a sole and a vamp; more than two solid bearing blocks are arranged, the sole is divided into a middle supporting cavity and a supporting folding cavity by the solid bearing blocks, the region connected with the two regions of a front sole region and a heel region is the middle supporting cavity, the region connected with the adjacent bearing blocks is the supporting folding cavity, each solid bearing block has upper, lower, left and right surfaces, and is tightly adhered to the corresponding inner wall of the shoe-shaped cavity of the sole, and each solid bearing block is provided with more than one air passage that run through the entire block. |
| US09974353B2 |
Convertible shoe
The convertible shoe consists of: a top portion having a stylized upper, a footbed, and an underside with bottom side attachment; an insert with top side attachment and a bottom side attachment; and a bottom portion having a top side attachment and a tread on the bottom. The top side attachment of the bottom portion and insert are identical, and the bottom side attachment of the top portion and insert are identical. The bottom side attachment is sized and configured to correspond to, and attach to, the top side attachment, such that the top portion can attach directly to the bottom portion to create a low-heeled shoe, or attach to the insert which is attached to the bottom portion to create a high-heeled shoe. |
| US09974347B2 |
Flame blocking venting trap and protection garment thereof
The application relates to a flame blocking venting trap (FBVT) adapted to vent a garment, the FBVT comprising a proximal layer; a central venting layer superposed to the proximal layer; and a distal layer superposed to the central venting layer. The the proximal layer is forming a first fold with the central venting layer and the central venting layer is forming a second fold with the distal layer to act as a flow restricting apparatus configured to prevent air and flames to get through the FBVT from the outside of the garment and allow air to get through the FBVT from the inside of the garment. A garment including one or many FBVT is encompassed by the present application. |
| US09974346B2 |
Garment, especially sports garment
A garment, especially a sports garment, having a section which at least partially covers the body of a wearer, wherein the section has at least one venting element for allowing an air flow to flow from the outside of the garment through the section into the inner of the garment for cooling a part of the body of the wearer. To improve the cooling during the movement of the wearer of the garment an actuating mechanism is arranged for opening and closing the venting element in dependence of the movement of a part of the body of the wearer during the use of the garment. |
| US09974344B2 |
Injury mitigation system and method using adaptive fall and collision detection
A wearable safety device assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes at least one sensor configured to obtain one or more signals from a user. One of the at least one sensors comprises a vestibular (and startling/surprise related) motion sensor specially configured to obtain vestibular (and startling/surprise related) signals. Vestibular (and startling/surprise related) data indicative of a user's vestibular (and startling/surprise related) state is extracted from the one or more signals and used to determine whether a user is undergoing an event such as a fall or a startling movement. When it is determined that a user is undergoing an event, the processor of the wearable safety device transmits an activation signal to the safety device. Optionally, the processor may transmit data and information related to the vestibular (and startling/surprise related) system and recorded signals to a data repository. |
| US09974341B2 |
Convenient smoking device vaporizer with improved air flow
A convenient smoking device is disclosed with a main body having a battery unit and a pipe that are parallel to each other. A first end of the main body includes a battery cap and a first seal ring, and may be detachably fixed to the first end of the main body by a nut. A fixing cap can also be provided on the main body, as well as a second seal ring for connecting the pipe with an atomizer. Both of the second seal ring and the fixing cap are fixed to the second end of the main body by a upper cap. |
| US09974339B2 |
Vaporizer device with improved threaded connection
An electronic vaporizer device is provided for vaporizing or atomizing inhalants. The device comprises a separable and selectively connectable device having at least a first portion and a second portion. A novel threaded connection arrangement is provided with a male connector and a female connector. The male connector comprises a thread arrangement that is compatible with various devices. The female connector is adapted to receive only the male connectors of the disclosure. |
| US09974336B2 |
Power control circuit and power control method for electronic cigarette
A power control circuit and a power control method for an electronic cigarette are provided. The power control method includes the following steps: detecting a sensing temperature of a heating wire; when the sensing temperature is lower than a preset temperature, providing a first switch signal according to a ramp signal and an input signal, and adjusting an operation current of the electronic cigarette according to the first switch signal; and when the sensing temperature is higher than the preset temperature, providing a second switch signal, and adjusting the operation current of the electronic cigarette according to the second switch signal, wherein an on-time of the second switch signal is less than an on-time of the first switch signal. The invention controls the temperature of the electronic cigarette by adjusting the on-time so as to avoid overheating. |
| US09974333B1 |
Device and method for vaporizing a substance
A simple vaporizing device with four concentric tubes and a wire mesh wick for volatizing, by vaporization, and inhaling one or more constituents of various vaporizable substances. The device is operated using the flame from a standard butane cigarette lighter or other flame producing devises as the sole heat source, and the user's inhalation process for air flow. Concentric tubes, an inner tube with two open ends to provide a direct pathway for the flow of air and vapor; and outer tubes with open ends, one moveable, are arranged to provide for the application, vaporization, and delivery of the vaporizable substance as a single dose. |
| US09974332B2 |
Electronic cigarette charging dock, electronic cigarette case, and method for use thereof
An electronic cigarette charging dock, an electronic cigarette case and a method for use thereof, the charging dock includes a positive electrode elastic pin and a negative electrode elastic pin which are cylindrical and used for being connected to a positive electrode and a negative electrode of the battery to form a charging circuit. The elastic pins are arranged around the base of the charging dock, while the elastic pins are being used, the inelastic parts of the elastic pins do not deform elastically to affect a normal use. A plurality of elastic pins are arranged parallel to each other and retract in the axial direction when in use, thus preventing short circuits. |
| US09974328B2 |
Edible composition
A method of preparing a composite foodstuff is provided and comprises providing a core, providing a barrier composition and applying the barrier composition to at least a portion of the core and providing a fat based coating having a lower fat content than the core. The fat based coating is applied to the barrier coated cores. The hardness of the fat based coating does not decrease over a period of storage. |
| US09974327B2 |
Rotary screw blancher with fluid passage and fluid agitation
A food processing apparatus including a tank having an inlet end for receiving food product and an outlet end for discharging food product, the tank having an inner wall defining a compartment and including a solid, imperforate wall portion, fluid being contained in the compartment, and a rotatable auger mounted in the compartment, the auger for advancing food product within the compartment from the inlet end toward the outlet end, the auger including flights having a flight wall with a radial edge, a clearance space being defined between the radial edge of the flights and the solid, imperforate wall portion of the inner wall. Flow of fluid through the clearance space may be inhibited. One of the inner wall and the flight wall may include a perforated wall portion. Flow of fluid between the first auger section and the second auger section may be provided through the perforated wall portion. |
| US09974326B2 |
Scoopable instant protein bone- or meat-based protein supplement powder
The present invention is an instant (agglomerated particle) scoopable protein food supplement powder composition containing at least 70%, more preferably 80%, and most preferably 85-90% animal protein or molecules derived therefrom, carbohydrate less than 10% and preferably undetectable, sodium less than 5% and preferably less than 200 mg per serving, ideally approximately 150 mg per serving. The powder is preferably in the particle size range of about 30-100 mesh, more preferably about 40-80 mesh. |
| US09974325B2 |
Capsule clusters for oral consumption
An oral product includes a matrix including a mixture of a plurality of capsules, a powdered component, a viscous component and a binder and wherein the matrix is molded into a shape. In a preferred embodiment, the capsules provide functional and flavorful ingredients. In an embodiment, the matrix is enclosed in a porous material that forms a pouch. |
| US09974317B2 |
Method of deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat therefrom and apparatus for performing the method
A method is disclosed of mechanically deboning animal thighs for separating and collecting meat there from and an apparatus and an alternative apparatus for performing the method, including automated individual processing steps. The processing steps include: grasping a thigh bone of an animal thigh at a hip knuckle with a bone holder; cutting tissue near the hip knuckle; and engaging the thigh bone adjacent the bone holder with a meat stripper. The processing steps further include: moving the bone holder and meat stripper away from one another in a direction substantially coextensive with the longitudinal extend of the thigh bone; allowing the meat stripper to pass over the knee knuckle; and collecting the meat separated from the bone. In particular the method includes and each of the apparatuses perform the process step of cutting tissue adjacent a knee knuckle of the thigh bone, prior to allowing the meat stripper to pass over the knee knuckle. The apparatuses include a plurality of processing stations for carrying out the individual steps, and the processing stations are arranged along a path of conveyance defined by a conveyor chain moving through a predefined path. |
| US09974316B2 |
Rib pairing device with a balanced blade holder
Presented is a rib paring device with a linear motion drive, that features a piston rod, that is flexibly guided in the rib paring device in a direction that is longitudinal to the stationary direction of the rib paring device, and that exercises a driving force on the piston rod in the stationary line of action of the rib paring device, the direction of which will change directions periodically, and with combination made up of a blade and a blade holder that features a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end of which is detachably connected with the piston rod and the distal end of which is detachably connected with the blade. |
| US09974310B2 |
Ceramic additive formulation and method of making
A method of making a ceramic glaze formulation having an antimicrobial property for use with a ceramic article. The method comprises fritting an antimicrobial formulation in a flux frit, providing least one unfritted antimicrobial component, providing a silver carrier in a glass matrix, and combining the flux frit, the at least one unfritted component, and the silver carrier in the glass matrix to form the ceramic glaze formulation. The silver carrier is combined at an addition rate based on a dry weight basis of the ceramic glaze formulation. A ceramic glaze additive formulation and ceramic glazed article are also provided. |
| US09974309B2 |
Flower preservation method and device
This invention relates to a method of preserving one or more cut flowers with the use of a sulphur dioxide (SO2) generating device. The method further relates to an SO2 generating device for the preservation of one or more cut flowers. The device may be in the form of a strip for attachment to a flower sleeve or in the form of an article of any shape for placement inter-bunch and above the flower heads. |
| US09974300B2 |
Yield enhancement for stress-susceptible plants
This invention is based on the use of cyclopropene to stabilize/enhance yield/seed production for corn inbred lines known to be stress-susceptible. Inbred corn lines are especially susceptible to environmental and mechanical stresses. Provided are methods and use of cyclopropene to enhance production of inbred seed from inbreds especially susceptible to stress. Also provided are methods and use of cyclopropene to enhance production of hybrid seed from inbreds susceptible to environmental stress. Also provided are methods and use of cyclopropene to enhance production of hybrid seed from inbreds susceptible to mechanical stress. |
| US09974299B1 |
Bird nest prevention device and method
A bird nest prevention device for use in a building structure includes a mounting face for connecting to a face of a truss by a connector, a first angled portion having a lower edge connecting to an upper edge of the mounting face and being inclined upward therefrom, a second angled portion having a lower edge opposing the lower edge of the first inclined portion and being inclined upward therefrom, an upward extending portion connecting at a lower portion thereof to the first angled portion and the second angled portion and wherein the lower edges form a stand to rest on top of the truss. |
| US09974298B2 |
Method for producing a bird protection device and bird protection device
The invention relates to a method for producing a bird protection device and to a bird protection device. According to the invention, a method for producing a bird protection device is proposed, wherein the bird protection device is made of an at least partially transparent material and contains an optical structure visible to a bird's eye. Here, the method comprises a radiation input, wherein the radiation input is implemented on and/or in the partially transparent material for forming the optical structure. The radiation input is preferably laser radiation. Suitable lasers for the radiation input are, for example, CO2 lasers with a wavelength of 1064 nm, picosecond lasers with a wavelength of 532 nm or nanosecond lasers with a wavelength of 532 nm. In one embodiment of the invention, the bird protection device furthermore comprises an element for increasing the contrast, wherein, for forming the optical structure, the radiation input is implemented on and/or in the element for increasing the contrast. |
| US09974295B2 |
Pest control system and method
A system and method of monitoring and controlling cellulose-consuming pests in a predetermined location, providing for the use of an assembly that has a main body with a cylindrical upper portion and a lower portion continuously co-axially formed with the upper portion. The lower portion is formed as blades meeting at a lowermost point and defining a sharp bottom point that helps penetrate the soil in the selected location. A plurality of cellulose-containing bait units are detachably fitted in the lower portion and the upper portion. The bait units fitted in the lower portion are retained by the blade portions, which engage radial slots of the bait units. A moisture-retaining member is positioned in the upper portion above an uppermost of the bait units. A removable cap frictionally fittingly engages with the upper portion. The cap has an opening allowing water to be poured into the main body to moisten the bait units and make them more attractive to foraging insects. If consumption of the cellulose material is detected, the bait units may be substituted with a bait material containing poisonous substance. The pests consume the bait and carry the poison to the colonies. |
| US09974290B2 |
Animal model and method for studying gene-gene interactions
The invention concerns a non-human animal model useful for sensitively studying gene-gene interactions over a wide genetic background; methods for producing the animal model; and methods for studying gene-gene interactions using an animal model of the invention. |
| US09974284B2 |
Method for communicating with an electronic device and an electronic device locatable on or in an animal
An electronic monitoring device (20) for attaching to an animal (21) for determining a plurality of states of an animal (21). The monitoring device (20) comprises an NFC module (31) which facilitates wireless communication between a smart phone (32) and the monitoring device (20). The monitoring device (20) comprises an accelerometer (27) for monitoring acceleration of the head (25) of the animal (21). A microprocessor (28) determines various states of the animal from signals received from the accelerometer (27). The smart phone (32) is programmed by a software application which allows an identifying code of the monitoring device (20) to be read from the memory chip (36) and cross-referenced in the smart phone (32) with the identity of an animal, which can be inputted into the smart phone (32). Data relating to the state or states of the animal can be read from the microprocessor (28) through the NFC module (31) wirelessly into the smart phone (32). Additionally, data relating to the animal stored in a cloud computer server corresponding to the state or states of the animal is downloaded from the cloud computer server by the smart phone (32). |
| US09974279B2 |
Pet watering and feeding device
A nutrient dispensing device for animals includes an access basin and a support portion attached to the access basin. The dispensing device includes a ramp spanning between the access basin and the support portion. A storage tank is disposed on the support portion, and a first end of the ramp is located partially beneath an open end of the storage tank. The ramp also includes at least one shield attached along a portion of the ramp, and the shield resists contents stored in the storage tank from entering a region of the support portion. |
| US09974276B2 |
Peronospora resistance in Spinacia oleracea
The present invention relates to a spinach plant which may comprise an allele conferring resistance to downy mildew, propagation material of said spinach plant, a cell of said spinach plant, seed of said spinach plant, and to harvested leaves of said spinach plant. The invention further relates to use of a spinach plant in breeding to confer resistance against downy mildew. |
| US09974272B1 |
Maize hybrid X00K404
A novel maize variety designated X00K404 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X00K404 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X00K404 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X00K404, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X00K404. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X00K404. |
| US09974269B2 |
Soybean variety 01058766
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01058766. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01058766. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01058766 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01058766 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods. |
| US09974264B2 |
Soybean variety 01057212
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01057212. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01057212. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01057212 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01057212 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods. |
| US09974263B2 |
Plants and seeds of hybrid corn variety CH615495
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH615495. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH615495, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH615495 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH615495. |
| US09974262B2 |
Canola inbred restorer line CL134904R
The present invention relates to a new and distinctive canola, designated CL134904R. Also included are seeds of canola CL134904R, to the plants, or plant parts, of canola CL134904R and to methods for producing a canola plant produced by crossing the canola CL134904R with itself or another canola genotype, and the creation of variants by mutagenesis or transformation of canola CL134904R. |
| US09974260B1 |
Maize hybrid X00H328
A novel maize variety designated X00H328 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are produced by crossing inbred maize varieties. Methods for producing a maize plant by crossing hybrid maize variety X00H328 with another maize plant are disclosed. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into X00H328 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. This invention relates to the maize variety X00H328, the seed, the plant produced from the seed, and variants, mutants, and minor modifications of maize variety X00H328. This invention further relates to methods for producing maize varieties derived from maize variety X00H328. |
| US09974259B2 |
Cotton variety FM 1900GLT
The cotton variety FM 1900GLT is disclosed. The invention relates to seeds, plants, plant cells, plant tissue, harvested products and cotton lint as well as to hybrid cotton plants and seeds obtained by repeatedly crossing plants of variety FM 1900GLT with other plants. The invention also relates to plants and varieties produced by the method of essential derivation from plants of FM 1900GLT and to plants of FM 1900GLT reproduced by vegetative methods, including but not limited to tissue culture of regenerable cells or tissue from FM 1900GLT. |
| US09974254B2 |
Method of plant genome design, method of creating new cultivar and new cultivar
Plant genome design method defines DNA markers M1 to M5, for target region, DNA marker M2 is defined at an end on an upstream side of a target region, or upstream thereof, DNA marker M1 is defined upstream of the DNA marker M2, DNA marker M4 is defined at an end on a downstream side of the target region, or downstream thereof, DNA marker M5 is defined downstream of the DNA marker M4, and DNA marker M3 is defined in the target region; and designs a genome so that a substitution region, containing the target region, in a chromosome of the original cultivar to be substituted with a chromosome fragment derived from the foreign cultivar has an end on an upstream side between DNA marker M1 and DNA marker M2, and an end on a downstream side of the substitution region between DNA marker M4 and DNA marker M5. |
| US09974253B1 |
Insulated housing having a controllable interior environment
A shell with a controllable indoor climate. The shell may house plants, such as produce, for farming purposes. The shell may be made of scalable structurally insulated panels. Within the shell may be trays for facilitating the growth of the plants. Lighting, climate, and nutrients may be controlled for the proper growth of the plants. |
| US09974250B1 |
Insulated chilling reservoir for liquid solutions utilized in hydroponic growing systems
An insulated chilling reservoir for chilling and storing a nutrient solution utilized with a hydroponic system for growing plants. The chilling reservoir has a plurality of exterior walls that enclose an interior chamber that is sized and configured to receive a quantity of the nutrient solution. At least the side exterior walls are insulated. The interior chamber has one or more interior walls and a chamber floor that are in contact with the nutrient solution when it is in the interior chamber. The chilling reservoir has a chilling mechanism associated with the reservoir body and the interior chamber that lowers the temperature of the nutrient solution through the interior walls when the solution is in the interior chamber. A control panel allows the grower to monitor and control the temperature of the nutrient solution. The chilling mechanism includes evaporator coils in the exterior walls, a radiator and a refrigerant system. |
| US09974246B2 |
Anchoring device for self-propelled irrigation system
An anchoring device for a self-propelled irrigation system includes a drive assembly that drives a soil auger into the ground to anchor a drive tower of the irrigation system. The soil auger is rotatably driven about a vertical axis and movable vertically relative to the drive tower. The soil auger includes a lower tip, a multi-sided head at an upper end, and a helical screw portion between the lower tip and the upper end. The drive assembly includes a sleeve member with an inner surface that mates with the head of the soil auger and allows the soil auger to slide within the sleeve member while rotating together with the sleeve member. A bit cleaner assembly is arranged to engage the helical screw portion of the soil auger to clean soil from the auger and to cause the auger to move vertically relative to the sleeve member upon rotation. |
| US09974243B2 |
Systems, methods, and devices for aeroponic plant growth
An aeroponic system for supporting efficient low-resource-usage plant growth comprises a housing comprising one or more openings and one or more root chambers; one or more sealing members configured to substantially conform to a stalk of a plant and to substantially isolate a canopy of the plant from the one or more root chambers; one or more root chamber sensors; one or more nutrient storage reservoirs for storage of plant nutrients; one or more air-assisted nozzles configured to introduce atomized nutrient solution into the one or more root chambers; a temperature control system configured to control a temperature of the one or more root chambers; and a control system configured to control the temperature control apparatus and the one or more air-assisted nozzles to maintain environmental parameters associated with the one or more root chambers within desired parameter ranges. |
| US09974242B1 |
Clippings-collecting net for bush-trimming shears
The clippings-collecting net for bush-trimming shears is a handheld tool configured for use in agriculture and horticulture. The clippings-collecting net for bush-trimming shears is configured for use with a hedger. The clippings-collecting net for bush-trimming shears comprises a plurality of supports and a trap. The plurality of the supports and the trap are attached to the hedger. The supports and the trap capture clippings as they are produced by the hedger and contain the clippings within the trap until they can be appropriately disposed of. |
| US09974241B2 |
Handheld blower
A handheld blower includes a housing having an air inlet and a duct assembly mounted in front of the air inlet, the duct assembly including a duct connected with the housing, a motor and a fan mounted in the duct, a battery, and a blowpipe connected to the housing by the duct assembly, the blowpipe defining a central axis in the length direction, and a handle arranged above the housing and the battery. The handle includes a gripping portion arranged on opposite sides of a plane in which the gravity center of the blower is located, and the plane is parallel to a central axis of the blowpipe and substantially perpendicular to a working ground. The gravity center of the handheld blower is adjacent to the gripping portion which enhances the handling comfort and reduces operator fatigue during long times of operation. |
| US09974240B1 |
Simulated stone landscape edging apparatus
A simulated stone or masonry apparatus for landscape, lawn, or garden edging or siding is disclosed. More specifically, the simulated stone edging can be made of a durable polymer material, easy to install and remove using ground penetrating metal stakes, lightweight, weatherproof, cost-effective, and provide a visual appeal of actual stone work. In one embodiment, the landscape edging apparatus can including one or more guides, a first flexible material having a first side and a second side, wherein the first side further includes a textured faux stone surface, wherein the second side includes one or more receiving members, and wherein the receiving members are configured to receive the guides. |
| US09974238B2 |
Clean grain elevator paddles for a combine harvester
A grain paddle for a clean grain elevator of a combine harvester. The paddle includes a substantially rigid body with a planar portion having ends disposed distal and proximal to an elevator chain of the combine harvester. Some paddle embodiments include an angled end adjacent the proximal end of the planar portion. Some paddle embodiments include an angled end adjacent to the distal end of the planar portion. Some paddle embodiments include sloped lateral edges. |
| US09974229B2 |
Baffle retention channel for an inductor box of an agricultural implement
An agricultural product distribution system is presented includes an inductor box configured to receive agricultural product and conveyed air to combine the conveyed air and the agricultural product. The conveyed air is configured to direct the agricultural product through ports to multiple distribution units. Moreover the inductor box includes a baffle retention channel configured to receive a removable baffle. Furthermore, the removable baffle includes at least one opening configured to control an amount of conveyed air directed through the ports to the multiple distribution units. |
| US09974225B2 |
System and method for generating and implementing an end-of-row turn path
A method includes generating a non-continuous curvature end-of-row turn path for an agricultural vehicle, wherein the non-continuous curvature end-of-row turn path includes a plurality of initial segments that are curved or straight, adding at least one continuity segment between each of the initial segments, wherein the at least one continuity segment is a clothoid segment, and the initial segments and the at least one continuity segment combine to form a continuous curvature end-of-row turn path, and implementing the continuous end-of-row turn path, displaying the continuous end-of-row turn path, or both. |
| US09974223B2 |
Zeroing adjustment for depth control system
A zeroing adjustment for a depth control system of an agricultural seed planting implement has an adjustable link to compensate for the variable effects of tolerance stack-up and wear, so that all planting units of the implement can be adjusted to a common zero ground penetration setting from which depth settings can be made. |
| US09974221B2 |
Singulation-style seeding system
A singulation-style seeding system includes planter row units arranged on a drill that may have a front rank and a back rank. The planter units may singulate and deliver seeds from a first segment of the drill, which may correspond to one of the front and back ranks. A high-volume fertilizer may be delivered from a second segment of the drill, which may correspond to the other one of the front and back ranks and may be delivered at a relatively high delivery rate. A starter fertilizer may be delivered at a relatively lower delivery rate at or near seed furrows. |
| US09980420B2 |
Assembling machine
The assembling machine is provided with fiducial marks which are attached to a defined position on a moving head, and an image processing section which recognizes the holding state of the component by the holding member based on high resolution data which is generated by super-resolution processing which uses a plurality of items of image data. The image processing section includes a displacement amount calculation section which calculates each displacement amount of imaging positions of other items of image data in relation to the imaging position of reference data, a positioning processing section which performs the positioning of the other items of image data in relation to the reference data, and a reconstruction processing section which generates the high resolution data based on the plurality of items of image data which are positioned. |
| US09980418B2 |
RF shield assembly
An electronic device such as a set top box is provided having a vertical chassis wall having an aperture; a horizontal circuit board that extends toward the vertical chassis wall; F-connector connected to the horizontal circuit board, either under or over the board, and extending out of the a vertical chassis wall through the aperture; and inner shield, which can generally be used to contain/shield the RF circuit components mounted on the PCB, on the interior side of the vertical chassis wall and connected to the F-connector on or under the horizontal circuit board, wherein the inner shield comprises a series of vertical peripheral walls that surround components (either under or over the board); and a shield cover that covers the inner shield, the shield cover comprises a top portion that runs along or extends horizontally and side portions that extend from the periphery of the top portion and downward to overlap a part of the shield wall. The side portions contact the exterior side of the shield walls or are substantially close to the exterior side to ensure no gap therebetween or such a minimal spacing to ensure direct path for electromagnetic interference. |
| US09980412B2 |
Flexible heat spreader
Apparatuses, systems and methods associated with flexible heat spreader design are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an electronic device may include a component, a heat dissipation member, and a flexible member. The heat dissipation member may be coupled to the component via a flexible portion of the electronic device, the component located on a first side of the flexible portion and the heat dissipation member located on a second side of the flexible portion. The flexible member may be thermally coupled to the component and the heat dissipation member, wherein the flexible member extends along the flexible portion from the first side to the second side and is to transfer heat from the component to the heat dissipation member. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed. |
| US09980411B2 |
Connector, connector assembly and apparatus
A connector assembly is provided and includes a circuit board, an elastic connector, a cage, and a heat exchanger. The circuit board includes a heat exchanger opening passing there through. The elastic connector is positioned about the heat exchanger opening. The cage includes a bottom cage with a cage opening facing a first surface of the circuit board. The heat exchanger is positioned on the bottom cage, such that one side of the heat exchanger passes through the cage opening to protrude inside the cage and an opposite side of the heat exchanger passes through the heat exchanger opening to protrude from a second surface of the circuit board opposite to the first surface. |
| US09980409B2 |
Mounting device for fan and fan assembly
A mounting device includes an enclosure, a mounting frame, and a pivoting member. The enclosure includes a mounting wall with a hook extending therefrom. The mounting frame is configured for receiving a plurality of fans. The pivoting member is pivotably mounted to the mounting wall. The pivoting member is pivotable relative to the mounting wall to engage in or disengage from the hook. When the pivoting member is engaged in the hook, the pivoting member secures the mounting frame to the mounting wall. When the pivoting member is disengaged from the hook, the mounting frame is removable from the mounting wall. A fan assembly with the mounting device is further disclosed. |
| US09980399B2 |
Display device
A display device is disclosed. A back cover supports a back surface of a display panel. A bending member is bent at a predetermined curvature and attached to the back surface of the back cover. A curvature-changing unit is coupled to the back surface of the back cover to rotate the bending member and change the curvature of either the display panel or the back cover. |
| US09980390B2 |
Suspension board with circuit assembly sheet
A suspension board with circuit assembly sheet includes an assembly provided region provided with a plurality of suspension boards with circuits at spaced intervals to each other along one direction and a margin region provided at least at one side in a crossing direction with respect to the one direction of the assembly provided region. In the assembly provided region, a first opening portion is provided between the suspension boards with circuits that are adjacent to each other and in the margin region, a fragile portion is provided. |
| US09980389B2 |
Display device
The display device includes: a flexible display panel including a display portion in which scanning lines and signal lines cross each other; a supporting portion for supporting an end portion of the flexible display panel; a signal line driver circuit for outputting a signal to the signal line, which is provided for the supporting portion; and a scanning line driver circuit for outputting a signal to the scanning line, which is provided for a flexible surface of the display panel in a direction which is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the supporting portion. |
| US09980387B2 |
Flexible printed circuit board and display device including the same
A display device including a display panel including a substrate having one side on which a first conductive pattern is arranged, a flexible printed circuit board having one side on which a second conductive pattern that is connected to the first conductive pattern is arranged, and a dam pad positioned between the substrate and the flexible printed circuit board to be spaced apart from an area to which the second conductive pattern is connected. |
| US09980383B2 |
Laminated circuit substrate
Sheets are laminated on each other and pressure bonded with fixtures from upper and lower directions of a lamination direction while being heated to produce a laminated circuit substrate including therein a capacitor and a coil. The capacitor is defined by a first conductor pattern and a second conductor pattern that face each other across thermoplastic resin layers. In the laminated circuit substrate, the first conductor pattern includes a first principal surface, the second conductor pattern includes a second principal surface, the first principal surface faces the second conductor pattern, the second principal surface faces the first conductor pattern, and the first principal surface and the second principal surface are subject to a roughening process. |
| US09980379B2 |
Optical module
The second wiring pattern includes extended regions from the main body side to the projecting portions as seen in a direction in which the pair of leads extend, and wiring regions continuously spreading from the extended regions in a direction away from the main body. Supposing that a length of the wiring region from an end of the projecting portion as a reference point to a farthest position in a direction away from the main body is a first width and a width of the extended region in a direction parallel to a side opposed to the main body side through the end of the projecting portion is a second width, the first width is smaller than the second width. The second insulating substrate is sandwiched between the second wiring pattern and a base, and thereby, a capacitance is formed. |
| US09980378B1 |
Surface mount connector pad
A circuit board includes first and second lines of surface mount pads, and a trace. The surface mount pads within the first line extend from a first edge of the circuit board toward a second edge of the circuit board. The surface mount pads within the second line extend from the first edge of the circuit board toward the second edge of the circuit board, and the surface mount pads within the second line are further from a third edge of the circuit board as compared to the surface mount pads within the first line. The trace is located on a top surface of the circuit board, and extends from the third edge to a fourth edge of the circuit board. The spacing between first adjacent surface mount pads within the first line enables the trace to be routed between the first adjacent surface mount pads with less crosstalk between signals on the trace and signals on the surface mount pads within the first line. |
| US09980376B1 |
Durable flexible circuit board for transparent display board and assembling method thereof
A durable flexible circuit board for a transparent display board is connected between a driver board provided with at least one of a power supply and a controller and a transparent plate provided with a plurality of light emitting elements. The flexible circuit board includes an electrode bonding portion provided with a plurality of signal connection terminals for transferring control signals, at least one power connection terminal for transferring electric power, and at least one dummy terminal disposed outside the signal connection terminal or the power connection terminal disposed at the outermost side. The dummy terminal resists vibration and pressure applied to the signal connection terminal or the power connection terminal disposed at the outermost side. The signal connection terminal and the power connection terminal are integrated in the flexible circuit board. |
| US09980371B2 |
Printed wiring board
A printed wiring board includes a resin insulating layer having recess portions formed on first surface, a first conductor layer formed in the recess portions and including pads positioned to mount an electronic component, conductive pillars formed on the pads, respectively, and formed to mount the electronic component onto the resin insulating layer, a second conductor layer formed on second surface of the resin insulating layer on the opposite side with respect to the first surface, and a via conductor formed in the resin insulating layer such that the via conductor is penetrating through the resin insulating layer and connecting the first and second conductor layers. The pillars is formed such that each of the pads has an exposed surface exposed from a respective one of the conductive pillars, and the pads are formed such that the exposed surface is recessed from the first surface of the resin insulating layer. |
| US09980370B2 |
Printed circuit board having a circular signal pad surrounded by a ground pad and at least one recess section disposed therebetween
To provide a printed board that solves the problem of transmission characteristics deterioration, the disclosed printed board includes a substrate, a circular signal pad that is provided on the substrate, a doughnut-shaped ground pad, which sandwiches the substrate that surrounds, in a doughnut shape, the signal pad, and which surrounds the outer circumference of the substrate, and one or more recessed sections that are disposed on the substrate that surrounds, in the doughnut shape, the signal pad. |
| US09980365B1 |
Electronic device
An electronic device comprises a metal casing, a circuit board and a heating assembly. The metal casing has a storage space. The circuit board is located in the storage space. The heating assembly comprises a first heating part and a second heating part. The first heating part is in thermal contact with the circuit board, and the second heating part is in thermal contact with the metal casing. |
| US09980363B2 |
Composite heat sink device for cooling of multiple heat sources in close proximity
In one aspect, an apparatus comprises a substrate, a first electrically-driven device disposed on the substrate, a second electrically-driven device disposed on the substrate, and a composite heat sink device. The composite heat sink device comprises a first thermal conduction member, a second thermal conduction member, and a thermal insulation member. The first thermal conduction member is disposed on the first electrically-driven device such that at least a portion of the heat generated by the first electrically-driven device is transferred to the first thermal conduction member by conduction. The second thermal conduction member is disposed on the second electrically-driven device such that at least a portion of the heat generated by the second electrically-driven device is transferred to the second thermal conduction member by conduction. The thermal insulation member is disposed between and thermally decouples the first thermal conduction member and the second thermal conduction member from one another. |
| US09980358B2 |
Mobile X-ray apparatus
A mobile X-ray apparatus includes: an X-ray radiation device configured to emit X-rays; a controller configured to control the X-ray radiation device; a power supply configured to supply operating power to the X-ray radiation device and the controller from a lithium ion battery and control overcurrent that occurs during emission of the X-rays by the X-ray radiation device; and a charger configured to charge the power supply. |
| US09980356B2 |
Lighting fixture with integral circuit protection
a lighting fixture includes a power input configured to be coupled to a power source, a power output configured to be coupled to an external load and a lighting device, such as a light emitting diode (LED) device, coupled to the power input and configured to provide illumination. The lighting fixture further includes a protection circuit coupled between the power input and the power output and configured to detect a condition of a power source coupled to the power input and to control power transmission between the power input and the power output responsive to the detected condition. The power output may be configured to support daisy-chain connection of the lighting fixture to at least one other lighting fixture, and the protection circuit may be configured to control power transmission to the at least one other lighting fixture responsive to the detected condition. |
| US09980354B2 |
Lighting system and method for registering lighting device
Disclosed are a lighting system and a method for registering a lighting device. The embodiments of the present invention comprise: a lighting device which is provided with a short-range communication module and comprises a plurality of light-emitting units; a lighting registration device which is provided with a short-range communication module and an IR communication module and registers the lighting device on the basis of the light-emitting patterns of the light-emitting units; and a lighting switch which is provided with a short-range communication module, binds with the lighting device by receiving, from the lighting registration device, an ID corresponding to the light-emitting patterns of the light-emitting units, and controls the operation of the lighting device. Further, when power is supplied to the lighting device, the lighting registration device recognizes the light-emitting patterns of the light-emitting units and registers the lighting device with an ID corresponding to the recognized light-emitting patterns. |
| US09980352B2 |
Wireless light pairing, dimming and control
A system (100) and method for controlling a light in a residential or commercial location through a wireless communications link with a personal controller (10). The system includes a lighting module (300) and a system administrator (200) having a wireless communications module (202) operable for wireless communication with the personal controller and with the lighting module. The wireless communications module is configured to communicate with the personal controller using a peer-to-peer communications link, and configured to communicate with the lighting module using a communications link other than peer-to-peer. |
| US09980349B2 |
Spatially and temporally smooth occupancy lighting
A system for providing spatially and temporally smooth occupancy lighting includes a sensor and a controller. The sensor is configured to determine a precise location of the occupant. The controller determines a number of lighting fixtures that are relevant to the location of the occupant. The light output of the lighting fixtures is controlled by the controller using a function that varies the light output depending on the location of the occupant. The function can change the light output based upon a distance between the occupant and the one or more lighting fixtures. For example, the function can increase the light output as the occupant moves closer to a fixture, and likewise decrease the light output as the occupant moves away from a fixture. In another example, the function can maintain a target illuminance at a particular spot within the space or an overall illuminance for all lighting fixtures. |
| US09980343B1 |
Tunable white light box
A tunable white light box includes light sources and a controller for individually controlling each of the light sources. The light sources each generate a light having a peak wavelength that differs from the peak wavelength generated by another one of the light sources. The controller individually adjusts each of the light sources to generate a color temperature for a translucent media containing an image. |
| US09980341B2 |
Multi-LED components
A multi-LED component comprises a component substrate comprising a common electrode, a first electrode, a second electrode, a plurality of first LEDs, and a plurality of second LEDs all disposed on the component substrate. Each first LED and each second LED comprises first and second LED contacts for providing power to each corresponding LED to cause the LED to emit light. The first LED contact of each first LED and each second LED is electrically connected to the common electrode. The second LED contacts of the first LEDs are electrically connected to the first electrode. The second LED contacts of the second LEDs are electrically connected to the second electrode so that the first LEDs are electrically connected in parallel and the second LEDs are electrically connected in parallel. |
| US09980340B2 |
Linear solid-state lighting with electric arc detection and prevention free of fire hazard
A linear light-emitting diode (LED)-based solid-state lamp comprises an LED driving circuit, LED arrays, a rectifier configured to convert an input AC voltage into a DC voltage, and an electric arc detection and current control module. The electric arc detection and current control module comprises a first derivative circuit configured to detect voltage variations from the DC voltage provided by the rectifier. The DC voltage varies drastically when an electric arc occurs while maintaining intact when the input AC voltage is not affected by the electric arc. The first derivative circuit takes a first-derivative of the voltage variations, coupling to a comparator circuit to determine if the electric arc occurs. When the electric arc is detected, the electric arc detection and current control module shuts off a current return from the LED arrays to reach the rectifier, hence preventing the electric arc from occurring during relamping or operating. |
| US09980338B2 |
Illumination system
An illumination system that includes a light source device and an algorithm unit is provided. The algorithm unit is coupled to the light source device and outputs a control signal to the light source device according to a reflection spectrum of an object, a visual color matching function, a visual preference correction function, or a combination of the above. The light source device outputs an illumination beam according to the control signal, so as to develop target visual perception of the object while the object is being irradiated by the illumination beam. A method for developing target visual perception of an object is also provided. |
| US09980330B2 |
Method and apparatus for calculating an average value of an inaccessible current from an accessible current
In a power converter, a circuit determines an average value of an inaccessible current from an average value of an accessible current and a value of the operating duty cycle of the converter. A method of measuring an average value of an inaccessible current from a measured value of a current in a power converter by a duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal representing a duty cycle of the power converter. Coupling a voltage representing the measured value to an input of a low pass filter during a time period (D) and coupling the input of the low pass filter to a reference voltage during a time period (1−D). |
| US09980328B1 |
Apparatus, system, and method for configuring an unpowered LED driver using an RS-232 interface
Systems, methods and apparatuses for configuring an unpowered light emitting diode (LED) driver using an RS-232 interface are provided. An LED driver includes an RS-232 serial connector and an RS-232 serial interface controller coupled to the RS-232 serial connector. The RS-232 serial interface controller is configured to provide an RS-232 port for the LED driver. The LED driver includes a voltage regulator coupled between the RS-232 serial connector and the RS-232 serial interface controller. The voltage regulator is configured (i) to receive a voltage regulator input voltage at least in part from the RS-232 serial connector when operating in an unpowered tuning mode, and (ii) to output a regulated voltage. A controller of the LED driver is powered by the regulated voltage during an unpowered tuning operation of the LED driver. |
| US09980325B2 |
Enhanced control of a microwave heating system
A method for controlling a microwave heating system is provided. The method may be used with a system having a liquid-filled microwave heating chamber and includes measuring the value of one or more microwave system parameters. Suitable parameters can include, for example, net microwave power discharged, the temperature of the liquid in the microwave chamber, the flow rate of liquid through the microwave chamber, and the speed of the conveyance system disposed within the microwave chamber. The measured value of the selected parameter is then compared to a target value for that parameter in order to determine a difference. Based on the difference, one or more actions can be taken in order to start, stop, or alter the operation of the microwave heating system. |
| US09980321B2 |
Wirelessly operable cooking appliance
A wirelessly operable cooking appliance for cooking food products includes a wireless communication device. A computing device, such as a smartphone, can wirelessly communicate with the cooking appliance to control and monitor the cooking appliance. |
| US09980320B2 |
Method of optimizing use of cooktop and cooktop with optimization
A method of optimizing performance of a cooktop with a plurality of adjacent heating zones includes indicating a point for each heating zone; placing a cooking vessel on the cooktop, the cooking vessel being sufficiently large to cover at least two of the points simultaneously; and adjusting the cooking vessel so that the cooking vessel covers the maximum number of the points possible for the size of the cooking vessel. A cooktop includes at least three induction heating elements; and a persistent indicator for each heating element. The cooktop is adapted to instruct a user to cover a maximum possible number of the at least three persistent indicators with a cooking vessel to optimize use of the cooktop. |
| US09980319B2 |
Method for operating a plant having at least one open- and/or closed-loop heating control device, open- and/or closed-loop heating control device, and plant
For operating a plant having at least one open- and/or closed-loop heating control device for heating elements, values for an energy consumption and/or an instantaneous power draw of the heating elements are determined, without using measured values for electric currents, on the basis of characteristic parameters of the heating elements and on the basis of values of open- and/or closed-loop control variables for the open- and/or closed-loop control of a heat output of the heating elements. This enables the network load to be determined, reported and optimized by the open- and/or closed-loop heating control devices even without complex and therefore expensive measuring devices in the open- and/or closed-loop heating control device. |
| US09980311B2 |
Apparatus and method of resuming wireless communication via interterminal communication between wireless communication terminals
A wireless communication terminal includes a base station communication part which communicates with a base station; an interterminal communication part which communicates with another wireless communication part; a communication failure detector which detects a communication failure with a first connected base station serving as a base station connected thereto; and a communication resume processor which carries out an interterminal communication with another wireless communication terminal so as to communicate with a second connected base station, connected to another wireless communication terminal, via another wireless communication terminal when a communication failure is detected with the first connected base station, thus carrying out a process of resuming a communication upon detecting the communication failure. |
| US09980308B2 |
Method for performing a logical channel prioritization and communication device thereof
There is provided a method for performing a logical channel prioritization. The method may comprise: receiving an uplink (UL) grant; identifying a set of logical channels whose data are to be transmitted using the uplink grant; and performing a logical channel prioritization (LCP) based on the identified set of logical channels. |
| US09980302B2 |
Systems and methods for reusing generic tokens using bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons
Systems and methods for reusing generic tokens using a Bluetooth® low energy (BLE) beacon. The systems and methods include a user device including a wireless transceiver, a memory for storing a generic token, and one or more processors coupled to the memory and the wireless transceiver. The wireless transceiver is configured to communicate with a beacon using a BLE communications protocol, receive a beacon identifier from the beacon, send a check in request to the beacon, and receive token differences from the beacon. The processors are configured to recreate a custom token based on the stored generic token and the received token differences. The beacon is configured to forward the check in request to a server. The server is configured to verify the user device and create the custom token and the token differences between the custom and generic tokens for return to the user device via the beacon. |
| US09980301B2 |
Terminal device, communication method, and communication system
The present disclosure relates to a terminal device, a communication method, a program, and a communication system, which can enable one-on-many wireless communication among terminal devices with less trouble for the user.A communication system according to the present disclosure is a communication system in which one parent device and a plurality of child devices perform one-on-many wireless communication. The parent device includes a management unit which manages group information representing a group made up of two or more child devices to which a child device belongs, and a child device connecting unit which establishes wireless connection with the child device which performs notification of the group information that matches the managed group information, and consecutively establishes wireless connections with a plurality of child devices. On the other hand, the child device includes a notifying unit which notifies the parent device of group information representing a group made up of two or more child devices, to which it itself belongs, and a parent device connecting unit which establishes wireless connection with the parent device in response to a predetermined trigger. The present disclosure can be applied to a system which distributes data by one-on-many wireless communication. |
| US09980285B2 |
Femtocell measurements for macro beam steering
Attachment data collected by a set of femto access points (FAPs) is utilized to localize, predict, and/or weight potential wireless communication traffic within and between areas. Moreover, the attachment data can be indicative of user equipment (UE) density/traffic within coverage areas of respective femtocells. The attachment data can be consolidated and analyzed to identify location and motion of a UE “swarm”. Moreover an automatic cell planning (ACP) component can be employed to utilize the attachment data for determining an optimal macro site and optimal antenna setting(s) that facilitate steering/tuning the macro antenna beam to focus upon the swarm area. In addition, the ACP component can facilitate reconfiguration of the macro antenna beam as reported swarm concentrations shift between the FAPs. |
| US09980282B2 |
Telecommunications apparatus and methods
A terminal device in a wireless telecommunication system which transmits a master information block and a first and a second system information block the first and second system information block comprising first and second scheduling information relating to the timing of at least one additional block of system information. The terminal device configured to receive the master information block of system information that comprises a marker instructing the terminal device to ignore the first scheduling information and process only the second scheduling information. |
| US09980273B2 |
Method for performing measurement in cloud wireless communication system and device for same
Provided is a method by which a terminal performs a measurement in a cloud wireless communication system comprising one or more baseband units (BBUs), and one or more remote radio units (RRUs) connected to the specific BBU among the BBUs so as to directly provide services to the terminal through one or more cells. According to the present method, the terminal respectively receives a first measurement configuration message and a second measurement configuration message from a first BBU and a second BBU, which are connected, includes, in a first measurement report message and a second measurement report message, the results of performing a measurement on one or more first RRUs to be measured according to the first measurement configuration message and a measurement on one or more second RRUs to be measured according to the second measurement configuration message, and then transmits the first measurement report message and the second measurement report message, wherein when the first RRUs and the second RRUs include one or more overlapping RRUs, the measurement result of one or more overlapping RRUs is included only in either the first measurement report message or the second measurement report message. |
| US09980270B2 |
System and method for interference coordination in wireless communications systems
A method for reducing interference at a first transmission point (TP) includes receiving a blanking bitmap from a second TP, the blanking bitmap includes an indicator of an interval of time when transmissions occurring on a transmission beam originating from the second TP are adjusted to reduce interference to the first TP, and scheduling communications for a user equipment (UE) served by the first TP in accordance with the blanking bitmap. |
| US09980266B2 |
Collaborative radio resource allocation in cellular deployments
A method for collaborative resource allocation includes defining a cluster of neighboring base stations (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107) in a cellular network, the cluster including at least first and second base stations. A channel for information exchange is established between the first and second base stations. Messages are transmitted from the first base station to the second base station over the established channel to provide information to the second base station with respect to allocation of first time-frequency resources by the first base station. Second resources are allocated by the second base station responsively to the messages from the first base station. |
| US09980262B2 |
Data transmission method and device
Disclosed are a data transmission method and device. The method comprises: receiving a PDCCH, wherein the PDCCH comprises an indication domain which can at least indicate different HARQ processes the number of which is a sum of maximum HARQ process numbers of a plurality of carriers, and initial transmission and retransmission of data in the same HARQ process use different carriers; and receiving data scheduled by the PDCCH according to the PDCCH. By means of the present application, transmission carriers during initial transmission and retransmission of data in the same process can be adjusted flexibly, so that, when interferences to some carrier(s) are serious, data transmission in the process is adjusted to a carrier or carriers to which interference conditions are not serious, so as to improve system transmission efficiency. |
| US09980259B2 |
Method and apparatus for minimizing redundant enhanced dedicated channel allocation information
A method and wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) that does not have an allocation of enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) resources is disclosed. The WTRU transmits E-DCH channel allocation information to a Node-B. In response to transmitting the E-DCH channel allocation information, the WTRU activates a timer. On a condition that an acknowledgement to the transmitted E-DCH channel allocation information is not received, the WTRU retransmits the E-DCH channel allocation information. On a condition that an acknowledgement to the transmitted E-DCH channel allocation information is received, the WTRU waits to transmit the E-DCH channel allocation information or updated E-DCH channel allocation information until the timer expires. |
| US09980258B2 |
Method and apparatus for wireless communication
The invention is related to a wireless communication by user equipment (UE) based on capability of the UE. According to this application, signals are received on a downlink channel including a downlink control channel and a downlink data channel, a parameter is configured for the wireless communication based on the capability of the UE and information in the downlink control channel, and signals are transmitted on a uplink channel based on the configured parameter, wherein the signals are transmitted to at least two cells. |
| US09980257B2 |
Ultra-low latency LTE reference signal transmission
Various aspects described herein relate to communicating in a wireless network. A resource grant comprising an indicator of whether to transmit a demodulation reference signal (RS) for an uplink control channel or an uplink data channel can be received from a network entity. It can be determined whether to transmit the RS in at least one transmission time interval (TTI) based at least in part on the indicator. |
| US09980254B2 |
Control channel transmission method, transmission processing method, communication node and terminal
The present document provides a method for transmitting control channels, method for processing transmission, communication node and terminal. The method for transmitting control channels includes: determining resources for transmitting the control channels according to predefined information and transmitting repeatedly the control channels multiple times on the determined resources for transmitting the control channels, the predefined information including at least one of following information: the number of repetitions of the control channels, control channel type, traffic channel type and traffic channel starting position. |
| US09980253B2 |
Wireless communication device, wireless communication method, and computer-readable recording medium storing wireless communication program
A wireless communication device includes: a memory; and one or more processors coupled to the memory, which, while performing first wireless communication with a base station using a wireless channel, performs, using the wireless channel without the base station, second wireless communication with a wireless communication device of a communication partner. |
| US09980252B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving control information in a wireless communication system
A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving signaling information in a digital broadcasting/communication system. A method for transmitting the signaling includes encoding signaling information for a physical layer to generate at least one coded block; and transmitting a frame comprising the at least one coded block. |
| US09980251B2 |
Base station device and communication system for communicating using a non-associated cell, an asymmetrical cell, a frequency band for downlink, or a frequency band for uplink
A cell2 configured by only a DL CC2 being a resource for downlink is configured. The cell2 does not include a resource for uplink, that is, a UL CC to be associated with the DL CC2 by a DL/UL link. The link information indicating the above is notified a communication terminal device by a base station device using the DL CC2. A DL CC1 and a UL CC1 constitute a cell1. The downlink communication from the base station device to the communication terminal device is performed using the cell1 and the cell2, and the uplink communication from the communication terminal device to the base station device is performed using the cell1. |
| US09980250B2 |
Method and system for WiFi access point utilizing full spectrum capture (FSC)
A WiFi access point (AP) includes a receive radio frequency (RF) front end and a baseband processor that controls operation of the receive RF front end. The RF front end captures signals over a wide spectrum that includes a plurality of WiFi frequency bands (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) and channelizes one or more WiFi channels from the captured signals. The baseband processor combines a plurality of blocks of WiFi channels to create one or more aggregated WiFi channels. The receive RF front end may be integrated on a first integrated circuit and the baseband processor may be integrated on a second integrated circuit. The first and second integrated circuits may be integrated on a single package. The RF front end and the baseband processor may be integrated on a single integrated circuit. The WiFi access point comprises a routing module that is communicatively coupled to the baseband processor. |
| US09980248B2 |
Method for device to access network, access point, network access device, and system
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for a device to access a network, an access point, a network access device, and a system. The method includes: generating, by an access point, a broadcast frame, where the broadcast frame includes feature information of a network access device; and the feature information is used for indicating a feature of the network access device; and broadcasting, by the access point, the broadcast frame, so that a specific network access device initiates a network access procedure to the access point; where the specific network access device is a network access device which receives the broadcast frame and has the feature indicated by the feature information. By adopting the present invention, contention collisions among network access devices can be reduced through a manner of accessing a network in batches. |
| US09980247B2 |
Primary cell signaling for eMBMS in carrier aggregation
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication are provided. In a first configuration, the apparatus is an eNB. The eNB constructs an MCCH change notification, and sends the MCCH change notification with a carrier frequency index for a first frequency of a first cell on a second frequency of a second cell. In a second configuration, the apparatus is a UE. The UE receives a configuration with aggregated carriers including a primary carrier from a primary cell and one or more secondary carriers from one or more corresponding secondary cells, and receives an MCCH change notification with a carrier frequency index for a first frequency of a first cell on a second frequency of a second cell. The first cell and the second cell are each one of the primary cell and the secondary cells. |
| US09980246B2 |
Systems and methods for using three-dimensional location information to improve location services
Acquiring three-dimensional location information, and using acquired three-dimension location information to locate users and enhance their experience in relation to location-based services. |
| US09980243B2 |
Methods and apparatus for wireless device synchronization
Systems and techniques for synchronization between in-coverage and out-of coverage user devices. A base station configures in-coverage and out-of coverage synchronization signals and configures user devices to recognize synchronization signals as in-coverage or out-of-coverage. An in-coverage device furnishes an in-coverage synchronization signal upon detection of an out-of coverage signal, and may continue to furnish the signal upon continued detection of an out-of-coverage signal that is not synchronized to the network. An out-of-coverage device may receive and synchronize to an in-coverage signal if available, or an out-of-coverage signal if available, or may generate and transmit its own out-of-coverage signal if no in-coverage or out-of-coverage signal is available. Signals may include rank information to indicate relay sequence information, and user devices may be configured to respond to signals based on the rank information—such as favoring a signal whose rank indicates that the signal represents a lower relay order number. |
| US09980241B2 |
Node synchronization method and apparatus
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a node synchronization method and apparatus, and relate to the field of communications technologies, where the method includes: selecting, by a first node, at least one user equipment UE, where the UE is used to assist a second node to synchronize with the first node; and sending, by the first node, a notification message to the at least one UE, so that the at least one UE assists the second node to implement synchronization with the first node. The present disclosure is applicable to time synchronization between communications nodes. |
| US09980238B2 |
Timeout of communication radio link
A message is received via a time-synchronized communication channel implemented on a radio link of a cellular network from a terminal. The message includes data associated with the service implemented by the terminal and a node of the cellular network. The message has been transmitted by the terminal at a first point in time. A timeout point in time of communication associated with the service is determined based on the first point in time. |
| US09980236B2 |
Wireless device transmission power management
A wireless device determines a calculated power for a plurality of signals comprising: a first sounding reference signal (SRS) configured for transmission in a subframe of a licensed assisted access (LAA) cell type and a second SRS configured for transmission in the subframe of a licensed cell type. The wireless device drops or scales at least one of the first SRS or the second SRS based on a transmit power priority. The transmit power priority considers whether the first SRS or the second SRS is configured for transmission on the licensed cell type or the unlicensed cell type. |
| US09980234B2 |
Managing transmission power of a random access channel for first and second cell groups
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for a terminal controlling uplink power in the wireless communication system, comprising the steps of: configuring an uplink subframe (UL SF) of a first set and a UL SF of a second set; receiving a downlink control information (DCI) format including a bitmap for indicating transmit power control (TPC) for a plurality of terminals; and controlling transmit power of an uplink channel by using TPC information on the terminals from the bitmap, wherein the TPC information is used for controlling transmit power of an uplink channel transmitted from the UL SF of the first set when the DCI format comprises a first identifier, and the TPC information is used for controlling transmit power of an uplink channel transmitted from the UL SF of the second set when the DCI format comprises a second identifier. |
| US09980228B2 |
Low-power wake-up packet generation
Embodiments of low-power wake-up packet generation are generally described herein. A wireless device modulates an LP-WUR (low-power wake-up radio) bit sequence with an LP-WUR pulse to obtain a plurality of modulated LP-WUR signals, each modulated LP-WUR signal having a 1× symbol duration. The wireless device multiplexes, in a time domain, an OFDMA (orthogonal frequency division multiple access) signal with a 4× symbol duration with four modulated LP-WUR signals, to generate a multiplexed signal. The wireless device encodes for transmission of the multiplexed signal to a peer device to wake up a WLAN (wireless local area network) radio of the peer device and to another device with an OFDMA signal. |
| US09980227B2 |
Method and apparatus for low-power scanning in WLAN system
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more specifically, disclosed are a method and an apparatus for low-power scanning in a WLAN system. A method for a station (STA) scanning in the wireless communication system, according to one embodiment of the present invention, comprises the steps of: transmitting a null data packet (NDP) probe request frame; and receiving from an access point (AP) a probe reply frame as a replay to the NDP probe request frame, wherein the NDP probe request frame can include a compressed service set ID (SSID). |
| US09980224B2 |
Determining inactivity timeout using distributed coordination function
Methods, systems, and devices are described for power management in wireless devices. Power saving for a device of a wireless network may be improved by appropriately setting an inactivity timeout (ITO), and thus the amount of time, after a last transmission or reception of data traffic, that the device remains in an awake mode listening for more data traffic before the device enters a sleep mode. Distributed coordinated function (DCF) information may be used for determining the ITO. For example, the DCF information may be used to determine a channel congestion metric, which may be used to set the ITO for the device. |
| US09980220B2 |
Low power wireless communication device and remote management techniques
According to one embodiment, a beacon device is configured to provide power in the beacon device in response to a signal from a clock to enter a wake state from a sleep state. The beacon device is further configured to receive configuration parameters over the wireless network interfaces from a network device, monitor one or more of a beacon sensor or a user device over the wireless network interfaces according to the configuration parameters, transmit data over the network interfaces to the network device according to the configuration parameters, and monitor the clock for a signal to enter a sleep state. The beacon device is further configured to disrupt the power in the beacon device in response to the signal to enter the sleep state from the clock. |
| US09980214B2 |
SIM selection
A SIM selection method of a wireless communication device connectable to a first SIM associated with a first subscription in relation to a first wireless communication system and a second SIM associated with a second subscription in relation to a second wireless communication system. The method comprises obtaining current values of first second and third parameters. The first parameters are applicable in relation to the first SIM and in relation to the second SIM, and comprise a geographical location of the wireless communication device. The second and third parameters obtained for the first SIM are applicable in relation to the first SIM only and the second and third parameters obtained for the second SIM are applicable in relation to the second SIM only. The current values of the third parameters are based on values of the third parameters associated with the geographical location and uploaded to a server by a plurality of other wireless communication devices. The method also comprises receiving a SIM utilization request from an application of the wireless communication device and selecting one of the first SIM and the second SIM for utilization by the application based on the current values of the first parameters, the second parameters, and the third parameters. Corresponding computer program product, SIM selector and wireless communication device are also disclosed. |
| US09980209B2 |
Efficient frequency assignment for mobile devices in coexisting wireless communication systems
Efficient frequency assignment for mobile terminals in coexisting wireless communication systems is described herein. The coexisting wireless communication systems comprise a macro communication system and a localized communication system. Two prioritized lists are defined, a first list comprising a first entry relating to the macro communication system and the second entry relating to the localized communication system, the first and second entries each listing at least one common frequency. Based on the first list, a mobile terminal uses communication protocols associated with the localized communication system. |
| US09980207B2 |
Delayed response to requesting device
A responding device (14) is configured to transmit messages at transmission opportunity times that occur substantially periodically according to a transmission interval. Configured in this way, the responding device (14) receives a request message (16) from a requesting device (12) in a wireless communication system (10). Responsive to the request message (16), the responding device (14) determines to transmit a response message (18) at a response time that is distinct from any of the transmission opportunity times and that occurs after at least the transmission interval has passed since receiving the request message (16). The responding device (14) in this regard delays transmission of the response message (18) until the response time, by refraining from transmitting the response message (18) at one or more transmission opportunity times that occur after receiving the request message (16) but before the response time. The responding device (14) then transmits the response message (18) at the response time. |
| US09980203B2 |
Method and system for signaling available channels in a wireless network
In order to better and more easily identify candidate APs and/or channels, an AP can transmit frames announcing its capabilities in a channel where it is not serving. For example, if an AP is operating in channel 1 and has created a Basic Service Set ID (BSSID) in that channel, it is permitted to transmit frames announcing its capabilities in another channel, for example channel 3, where another AP may or may not be operating. |
| US09980194B2 |
Bootstrapping secure connections for deployable networks
A method and apparatus for bootstrapping secure connections between wireless devices and deployable wireless communications networks. Using the method, a wireless device establishes a connection to an auxiliary network, and then establishes a connection with a deployable subscription bootstrapping service. The deployable subscription bootstrapping service generates a temporary subscription profile, including a temporary shared symmetric key, for the wireless device, writes the temporary profile to a deployable home subscriber server, and communicates the temporary profile to the wireless device, which stores the temporary profile. The wireless device then terminates the connection to the auxiliary network, and initiates a connection with the deployable wireless communications network using the temporary subscription profile. |
| US09980186B2 |
Methods and apparatus for performing HO decisions in a mobile network
A method for performing handover decisions for established radio connections in a mobile network is provided where the method comprise: requesting (6:10) a drop prediction report from a communication device, indicating whether or not an established radio connection is predicted to drop; receiving (6:20) a requested drop prediction report associated with the radio connection; determining (6:40), based on the content of the report, whether a first condition has been fulfilled; configuring a first threshold value specifying when a measurement report is to be provided from the communication device using the radio connection for which the drop prediction report has been received, in case the first condition has been fulfilled, and transmitting (6:60) the configured threshold value or an indication of the configured threshold value to the communication device. |
| US09980185B2 |
Wireless device handoff between wireless networks
Examples are disclosed for a wireless device handoff between a first wireless network and a second wireless network. |
| US09980183B1 |
Media and communications in a connected environment
Facilitating a conversation using resources of devices within an environment is described. A user within an environment can be determined to be engaged in a conversation with another person via a mobile device. Characteristics of the environment can be determined and devices that can provide playback of content of the conversation or receive content of the conversation can be identified based on the characteristics of the environment. Playback of content and receiving of content can then be provided using the resources of the devices. |
| US09980182B2 |
Wireless device, network node, first radio access network node and methods performed thereby
Embodiments herein relate e.g. to a method performed by a network node (15,13) for handling data of a wireless device (10) in a communication network (1). The network node (15,13) receives an indication from the wireless device (10), which indication indicates a presence of the wireless device at a second radio access network node (13) holding no context for the wireless device (10). The network node (15,13) identifies a first radio access network node (12) holding context for the wireless device (10) and any buffered data destined for the wireless device (10). The network node (15,13) retrieves from the identified first radio access network node (12), data buffered for the wireless device (10), and forwards the retrieved data to the wireless device (10). |
| US09980180B2 |
Controlling data rate at a relay UE (UE-R) for relaying traffic to and from a relayed UE
A communication system (1) is disclosed in which a relaying user device (UE-R) (3-2) obtains bit rate information (e.g. aggregate maximum bit rate, AMBR) for relaying data for another (relayed) user device (UE) (3-1, 3-3). The obtention of said bit rate information may by receiving a message from the another (relayed) device, UE1, for registering the UE1 to an application server, AS (PSCC). The registration message may comprise UE1 identity, UE-R identity and information identifying a bit rate required by the UE1 while communicating via the UE-R (e.g. an AMBR parameter such as Relay-APN-AMBR). The UE-R sends the registration message received from the UE1 to a core network (7) node (e.g. a gateway device like a P-GW or S-GW, an MME, or a PCRF) comprising the information identifying a bit rate for relaying communication data for the UE (3-1, 3-3) to which the bit rate information relates. The UE-R (3-2) relays data received from the UE (3-1, 3-3) to a base station (5), and relays data for the UE (3-1, 3-3), received from the base station (5), to the UE (3-1, 3-3). |
| US09980179B2 |
Managing computational resources in a network environment
The present disclosure describes approaches for managing computational resources in a network environment. A computational resource may include any resource consumable over a network and available in finite supply. One example is a method comprising receiving a request associated with initiating a communication session in a network. The request may identify a source endpoint and a destination endpoint of the communication session and a value of a computational resource associated with the communication session. A measure of the computational resource may be determined for at least one network element in a path from the source endpoint to the destination endpoint. At least one rule may be applied to determine whether to allow the communication session to be initiated at the value. The at least one rule may identify alternative values for the computational resource. An instruction to initiate the communication session is generated based on the at least one rule. |
| US09980177B2 |
Resource management in a wireless communications network
Detection of an unbalanced network load and redistribution of network traffic to balance the network load is provided herein. Load balancing across different radios in the same sector of a cell site can be facilitated through detection of the unbalance network load and changes to one or more parameters can be made to rebalance the network load. After radios within a sector are more evenly balanced, network load balancing across sectors can be facilitated. The balancing can be performed to improve system performance, reduce a dropped call rate, as well as to achieve other benefits that can provide an improved user experience as compared to systems that do not attempt to balance the network load. |
| US09980175B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing traffic steering in wireless communication system
A method and apparatus for performing traffic steering from a 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) access network to a wireless local area network (WLAN) in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment (UE) receives radio access network access network (RAN) assistance information for evaluating traffic steering from the 3GPP access network to the WLAN, and attempts to acquire attributes related to the RAN assistance information from a specific WLAN. If at least one of the attributes is not acquired from the specific WLAN, the UE evaluates traffic steering from the 3GPP access network to the WLAN excluding the specific WLAN. The RAN assistance information includes a WLAN signal power threshold and a WLAN load threshold. |
| US09980172B2 |
MTC-IWF entity, SCS entity, PCRF entity, and communication method
A MTC-IWF entity (1) includes a messaging unit (101). The messaging unit (101) operates to receive a control message including first load information from a PCRF (60) through a signaling interface between the PCRF (60) and the MTC-IWF entity (1). The first load information indicates a load status of a user plane or a control plane in a GGSN (57), an S-GW (58), or a P-GW (57). It is thus possible, for example, to facilitate collecting, by an MTC-IWF or an SCS, load information regarding a PLMN. |
| US09980166B2 |
Identifying volte to different technology types
A computer device may include a memory configured to store instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to detect a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call and identify an available technology type to carry the SIP call from an originating device. The processor may be further configured to execute the instructions to generate an originating available technology type header that includes information identifying the identified available technology type to carry the SIP call from the originating device and forward the SIP call toward a destination with the generated originating available technology type header. |
| US09980165B2 |
Visual privacy systems for enterprise mobility management
Systems herein allow a user to use their personal user device to perform functions in an enterprise environment in exchange for enrolling at a management server. The management server can provide a privacy component that allows the user to view a privacy profile summarizing data collection activities of the management server. The management server can dynamically build the privacy profile based on device profile and privacy settings stored on the management server. The privacy profile can be dynamically updated based on changes to privacy settings, and can also provide links for a user to see actual data that has been collected at the management server. |
| US09980164B2 |
Measurement method and apparatus, and communications node
A measurement method and apparatus, and a communications node are disclosed, where the measurement method includes: sending, by a first communications node, measurement information to a second communications node, where the measurement information includes information of a measurement signal type, and the information of the measurement signal type is used by the second communications node to determine a signaling type corresponding to a measurement signal; and receiving, by the first communications node, a measurement report sent by the second communications node, where the measurement report carries a measurement result of measurement performed by the second communications node according to the measurement information. Embodiments of the present invention implement measurement on a radio link signal according to a received measurement signal type. |
| US09980162B2 |
Enhanced radio resource management measurement mechanism in local area network with flexible time division duplex
The present invention addresses a method, apparatus and computer program product for enabling enhanced repetition radio resource management measurement mechanism in local area network with flexible time division duplex. For initiating a radio resource management measurement accomplished by a user equipment of a host cell and approaching a neighboring cell, the base station of the host cell transmits information indicating a radio resource management measurement subband and a cross link measurement subframe to the user equipment and not performing an uplink transmission, wherein the radio resource management measurement subband is an uplink prohibited subband that is being used in a downlink transmission of the neighboring cell, and the cross link measurement subframe is a subframe capable of being used for completing an uplink to downlink switch. |
| US09980158B2 |
Method and device for base station self-configuration in distribution network structure
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for transmitting configuration information by a local administrator and the local administrator transmitting the configuration information, the method comprising the steps of: receiving an internet protocol pool (IP pool) allocated by an IP address management server of an external IP network; receiving an IP address allocation request from a new base station in the distribution network; and, in response to the received IP address allocation request, allocating the base station a certain IP address on the basis of the allocated IP pool. In addition, the embodiment of the present invention provides a base station for receiving configuration information from the local administrator and a self-configuration method for the base station. |
| US09980153B1 |
Method and apparatus of supporting wireless femtocell clusters
A method of operating a femtocell network cluster is disclosed. One example method of operating the femtocell network cluster may include certain operations, such as, selecting a master femtocell access point among various femtocell access points operating on the femtocell network cluster and updating a master table to include the master femtocell access point in the master table neighbor list. Other operations may include transmitting the master table to each of the femtocell access points informing them of the identity of the master femtocell access point. The tables may be maintained by all of the femtocell access points operating on the network. |
| US09980150B2 |
Node device, network system, and method for discovering neighbor of node device in TVWS communication environment
A node device using a TV white space (TVWS) includes a decision unit for comparing energy levels of a first sub-channel and at least one second sub-channel adjacent to the first sub-channel among a plurality of sub-channels with respect to a digital TV (DTV) channel including the plurality of sub-channels and deciding whether the DTV channel is an available channel, and a discovery unit for, if the DTV channel is decided as the available channel, discovering a beacon by scanning the first sub-channel in the DTV channel. |
| US09980149B2 |
Distributed selection of white space channels
Techniques for distributed selection of white space channels are described. According to one or more embodiments, techniques described herein enable fair allocation of available white spaces among entities seeking access to the white spaces, such as base stations and client devices in a particular geographical region. According to one or more embodiments, techniques for distributed selection of white space channels enable individual network components to detect white space network attributes and distribute white space channels based on the detected attributes. Alternatively or additionally, multiple base stations can collaborate to share information about white spaces in a particular region. |
| US09980146B2 |
Communications device with secure data path processing agents
A network system comprising memory configured to store a device communication activity policy, and a policy verification processor configured to (a) receive a device data record over a trusted communication link between the network system and a device data record generator on a communications device, the device data record comprising information about a data communications activity by the communications device, the information configured to assist the policy verification processor in determining whether the communications device is operating or has operated in accordance with the device communication activity policy, (b) determine, based on the device data record, whether the communications device is operating or has operated in accordance with the device communication activity policy, and (c) upon determining that the communications device is not operating or has not operated in accordance with the device communication activity policy, initiate an error handling action. |
| US09980145B2 |
Blocking communication between rogue devices on wireless local access networks (WLANs)
Techniques which prevent rogue devices from continued access to a wireless communication system. A control element directs access points as to which mobile stations to service. Each access point maintains a record of the mobile stations it is servicing. At the direction of the control element, one or more access points send ACK (acknowledgement) messages when hearing messages from a rogue device. When the rogue device sends a message, it expects an ACK message in response, but those additional ACK messages interfere with the responsive ACK message, causing the rogue device to never hear the responsive ACK message. The rogue device assumes its message was not received, so it retries sending of that message. When the rogue device retries sending of its message, the responsive ACK message is similarly interfered with, until the rogue device concludes that its connection has been lost. |
| US09980144B1 |
Hardware-trusted wireless data communications over a wireless relay
A wireless relay serves User Equipment (UE) with hardware-trusted wireless data communications over Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 links and Long Term Evolution (LTE) links. The wireless relay maintains hardware-trusted wireless backhaul links to a data network. The wireless relay broadcasts an IEEE 802.11 Service Set Identifier (SSID) and a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) Network Identifier (NID). The UE wirelessly transfers a hardware-trusted attachment request using the 802.11 SSID or the LTE NID. The wireless relay validates hardware-trust of the UE, and in response, establishes a hardware-trusted attachment of the UE. The wireless relay exchanges user data with the UE using hardware-trusted circuitry. The wireless relay exchanges the user data over hardware-trusted wireless backhaul links. |
| US09980142B2 |
Methods and apparatus for SIM-based authentication of non-SIM devices
Methods and apparatus presented herein allow a non-SIM device to access a paid Wi-Fi network by having a server emulate the non-SIM device as a related SIM-enabled device to a mobile operator. The mobile operator is led to believe that the non-SIM device is the related SIM-enabled device, and thereby grants authorization to the non-SIM device to access the paid Wi-Fi network. |
| US09980134B2 |
Method and apparatus for passpoint EAP session tracking
Systems and methods of tracking authentication sessions performed between Wi-Fi-enabled devices and authentication servers via wireless access points in Wi-Fi networks that allow authentication messages to be easily correlated to determine the authentication sessions to which the authentication messages belong. The systems and methods employ a tracking tag that an authentication server can insert into each authentication message that it sends to a Wi-Fi-enabled device via a wireless access point in an authentication session. By having the wireless access point echo the same tracking tag in each subsequent authentication message that it forwards to the authentication server, and storing each authentication message with its tracking tag in a database, the authentication messages stored in the database can be correlated using their tracking tags to determine the authentication session to which the respective authentication messages belong, thereby facilitating subsequent troubleshooting of the authentication session in the event of an unexpected failure. |
| US09980131B2 |
Mobile terminal, device and control method thereof
A device includes: a short-range communicator which is configured to communicate with at least one mobile terminal by a short-range communication method; and a controller which is configured to determine whether a mobile terminal targeted for approaching is a registered mobile terminal if it is detected that the mobile terminal approaches the device, and controls the short-range communicator to receive the first authentication information corresponding to the device from the approached mobile terminal if the approached mobile terminal is determined as the registered mobile terminal, and authenticate a user of the device through the received first authentication information. With this, a user can be authenticated by a simple method of making the mobile terminal approach the device without inputting his/her authentication information, thereby improving user's convenience and strengthening security effect. |
| US09980130B2 |
Session and service control for wireless devices using common subscriber information
The present disclosure provides a method and apparatus to initiate a session with a packet gateway for a connecting device configured to authenticate with a subscribing wireless device's authentication information. In some embodiments, an access node is configured to receive identification information uniquely identifying the connecting device, and based on the identification information received, provide a service to the connecting device and/or send a session request message to the packet gateway to establish a session for the connecting device, the session request message including information distinguishing the connecting device from another wireless device configured to authenticate with the authentication information associated with the subscribing wireless device. |
| US09980127B2 |
Method and apparatus for performing pairing process in wireless communication system
The present disclosure relates to a sensor network, machine type communication (MTC), machine-to-machine (M2M) communication, and technology for internet of things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the above technologies, such as smart homes, smart buildings, smart cities, smart cars, connected cars, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services. A method for performing a pairing process in a wireless device in a wireless communication system is provided. The method includes transmitting a signal including an encryption key to a terminal, receiving an authentication success message which is encrypted based on the encryption key from the terminal, and performing the pairing process with a coordinator based on the encryption key. |
| US09980124B2 |
System and method for handling unused SIM cards
A method in a cellular communication network comprising the following steps: marking a SIM card as dormant when said SIM card has not been used for at least an observation duration, provisioning a release node by backing up managing parameters related to said dormant SIM card, in a database, de-provisioning relevant managing nodes by removing managing parameters related to said dormant SIM card, redirecting any attachment request emanating from said dormant SIM card to the release node. |
| US09980117B2 |
Methods and apparatus for improving peer communications using an active communication mode
Aspects disclosed herein relate to providing peer communications between NFC enabled devices using an active communication mode. In one example, a communications device is equipped to detect a remote NFC device field within an operating volume, establish a peer communication link with the remote NFC device using an active communication mode, determine that the peer communication link is to be deselected, and transmit a deselection request message to the remote NFC device indicating to the remote NFC device that it has been deselected while maintaining the peer communication link. In another example, a communications device is equipped to sense an operating volume, as part of an active communication mode collision avoidance procedure, determine that no field is sensed, initiate an unmodulated carrier as part of switching an operating field to an on state, and maintain the unmodulated carrier for a collision avoidance threshold duration of time. |
| US09980113B2 |
Emergency communications from a local area network hotspot
In one implementation, a request to initiate emergency communications is received at a wireless local area network hotspot. A number of mobile communication devices connected to the wireless local area network hotspot and location information of the wireless local area network hotspot are determined. A distress message is generated that includes the number of mobile communication devices connected to the wireless local area network hotspot and the location information. The distress message is transmitted to a contact address for an emergency contact. |
| US09980109B2 |
Methods and devices for reporting broadcast state of warning message
Provided are methods and devices for reporting a broadcast state of a warning message. In the method, an evolved Node B (eNB) receives a state request message from a Mobile Management Entity (MME), wherein the state request message is used for requesting to report a broadcast state of a warning message; in response to the state request message, the eNB reports the broadcast state of the warning message to the MME. By means of the technical solution, the effect that a network side can report a broadcast state of a warning message according to a state request from a Cell Broadcast Center (CBC) is achieved. |
| US09980106B2 |
MTC device communication method, device, and system
Embodiments provide an MTC device communication method, device, and system. A second network element receives, a query message sent by a first network element after the first network element identifies that a type of a received short message is a preset-type short message. The query message comprises an identifier of a receiver of the short message and an identifier of a sender of the short message. The second network element checks whether the sender is authorized to send the preset-type short message to the receiver. The second network element sends a message to the first network element indicating whether or not to send the short message to the receiver. |
| US09980102B2 |
Event-based responder dispatch
Dispatch-aiding communications between computing devices of a responder and a dispatch unit include a computing device of the responder determining that an event occurred, automatically sending an indication of the event to a computing device of the dispatch unit, receiving a request for information from the computing device of the dispatch unit, obtaining the information requested by the computing device of the dispatch unit, and sending the information requested by the computing device of the dispatch unit to the computing device of the dispatch unit. The computing device of the dispatch unit sends the request for information to the computing device of the responder in response to receiving the indication of the event. |
| US09980096B2 |
Utilizing mobile wireless access gateways for location and context purposes
Methods, program products, and systems of using a mobile WAP for location and context purposes are disclosed. In general, in one aspect, a server can estimate an effective location of a wireless access gateway using harvested data. The server can harvest location data from multiple mobile devices. The harvested data can include a location of each mobile device and an identifier of a wireless access gateway that is located within a communication range of the mobile device. In some implementations, the server can identify a mobile wireless access gateway based on a distance comparison. Data indicating the mobility of a wireless access gateway can be used by a mobile device to initiate one or more actions, including managing power of the mobile device, modifying entrance and exit conditions of virtual fences and determining a context of the mobile device. |
| US09980094B2 |
Method for handling position data in a mobile equipment, and a mobile equipment having improved position data handling capabilities
A method, device and system for generating position information in a mobile equipment provided with at least two position determination devices. Embodiments of the invention may include allocating to each position determination device at least one stored parameter value, determining a context information, depending on the context information, choosing a corresponding position determination device selection process based on the value of said at least one parameter for each position determination device, selecting a position determination device according to the chosen selection process, and activating said selected position determination device. Application to location based services may provide a better handling of available positioning resources. |
| US09980088B2 |
Distributed geospatial communications system
A method on a first mobile node for facilitating exchange of pertinent data between mobile nodes over a wireless communications network can be provided. The method can include establishing, by the first mobile node, a wireless network connection with at least one other mobile node inside a predefined geospatial area, wherein the wireless network connection is established over the wireless communications network. The method can further include determining that a future position of the first mobile node is outside the predefined geospatial area and transmitting pertinent data residing on the first mobile node over the wireless communications network exclusively to the at least one other mobile node inside the predefined geospatial area, wherein the pertinent data is associated with the predefined geospatial area. |
| US09980087B2 |
Establishing location tracking information based on a plurality of locating category options
A method includes determining a first locating category of a plurality of locating categories based on an initial locating parameter. The method further includes selecting, when available, a first locating category option from the first locating category to produce a first selected locating category option. The method further includes selecting, when available, a second locating category option from a second locating category based on the first selected locating category option to produce a second selected locating category option, and a third locating category option from a third locating category based on at least one of the first and second selected locating category options to produce a third selected locating category option. The method further includes establishing location tracking communication from a first communication device to a second communication device regarding location information of the first communication device based on the first, second, and third selected locating category options. |
| US09980083B2 |
Method for pairing in a peripheral device and in a communications terminal, corresponding devices and program
A peripheral device is provided, which can be coupled detachably with a communications terminal. The device includes at least one connector cooperating, when the peripheral device is coupled with the terminal, with at least one complementary connector on the terminal so as to form a wired communications link between the peripheral device and the terminal. The device has a first wireless communications module capable of communicating with a second wireless communications module on the communications terminal when the wireless communications modules are paired with each other; a reception module to receive an identifier of the communications terminal via the wired communications link; a generating module to generate a pairing code in response to the received identifier; and a transmission module to transmit the pairing code to the communications terminal via the wired communications link so as to configure a pairing between the first and second wireless communications modules. |
| US09980082B2 |
System and method for tracking locations and activities
Systems, components, and methods for tracking, monitoring, and optionally reminding for use with hospitals, businesses, and office buildings. The components of the systems can include wearable advertising devices (WAD) that emit BLE signals, repeaters and/or gateways for receiving and relaying the BLE signals over a BLE Mesh network to a remote server. IR codes can be included to detect the presence of a WAD before the WAD is energized to emit a BLE signal. |
| US09980078B2 |
Audio object modification in free-viewpoint rendering
A method including, during a free-viewpoint rendering to a user, where the free-viewpoint rendering comprises rendering of an audio object, and during relative movement between a location of the user and the audio object in the free-viewpoint rendering, detecting a locational conflict abnormality between the audio object and the location of the user; and based upon the detecting of the locational conflict abnormality, changing the rendering of the audio object, where the changing is based upon at least one predetermined abnormality modification parameter. |
| US09980075B1 |
Audio source spatialization relative to orientation sensor and output
An audio customization system operates to enhance a user's audio environment. A user may wear headphones and specify what portion the ambient audio and/or source audio will be transmitted to the headphones or the personal speaker system. The audio signal may be enhanced by application of a spatialized transformation using a spatialization engine such as head-related transfer functions so that at least a portion of the audio presented to the personal speaker system will appear to originate from a particular direction. The direction may be modified in response to movement of the personal speaker system. |
| US09980074B2 |
Quantization step sizes for compression of spatial components of a sound field
In general, techniques are described for determining quantization step sizes for compression of spatial components of a sound field. A device comprising one or more processors may be configured to perform the techniques. In other words, the one or more processors may be configured to determine a quantization step size to be used when compressing a spatial component of a sound field, where the spatial component generated by performing a vector based synthesis with respect to a plurality of spherical harmonic coefficients. |
| US09980067B2 |
Hearing device with a wax guard, and wax guard
A hearing device contains a hearing device housing, which is insertable into an auditory canal of a person wearing the hearing device and which has a through-opening leading to the interior of the hearing device housing. The hearing device has a wax guard which is inserted into the through-opening and serves to protect against dirt, and wax, entering the hearing device housing. The guard contains a filter housing, which carries a filter element. At least one aperture is formed in a peripheral wall of the filter housing, which peripheral wall, in the correct insertion state, faces toward a peripheral wall of the hearing device housing delimiting the through-opening, and, in order to carry way and/or take up dirt, the aperture communicates with at least one hollow space arranged in the hearing device housing. |
| US09980066B2 |
Bone conduction transducer system with adjustable retention force
An external component for a bone conduction hearing implant is described. An external housing contains an electromagnetic drive coil, a coil core, and at least one spacer container located adjacent to one of the longitudinal ends of the coil core and configured to hold an optional removable spacer piece. The coil core and any pole pieces and side pieces are configured to magnetically interact with an implant magnet in the bone conduction transducer in the absence of electrical current in the drive coil to hold the external housing in the fixed attachment on the skin of the hearing implant patient over the bone conduction transducer. And electrical current in the drive coil magnetically interacts with the coil core and any pole pieces and side pieces to generate the implant communication signals to the implant magnet to create a mechanical vibration signal in the bone conduction transducer for perception by the patient as sound. |
| US09980064B2 |
Sub-cranial vibratory stimulator
A sub-cranial vibratory stimulator that at least partially bypasses a recipient's skull bone and delivers vibration to fluid within a recipient's skull bone. The sub-cranial vibratory stimulator comprises an actuator that is configured to be implanted beneath a recipient's skull bone. The actuator transfers vibration to the fluid within the recipient's skull without first passing through the skull bone. The actuator is also substantially mechanically decoupled (isolated) from the recipient's skull bone. |
| US09980061B2 |
Wireless electronic device with orientation-based power control
A hearing aid may utilize a companion microphone, separate from the hearing aid itself, for improving the understanding of speech spoken by a particular person or produced by a particular sound source. The companion microphone is a battery-powered hearing aid accessory device that picks up ambient sound and transmits corresponding radio signals to the hearing aid. Described herein are schemes help to preserve battery life in a companion microphone by using adaptive radio transmission power control. |
| US09980060B2 |
Binaural hearing aid device
The invention relates to a binaural hearing aid device, comprising a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, respectively. Each hearing aid comprises a microphone unit, a receiver unit, an audio processor and a speaker unit. The microphone unit is configured to receive an acoustic front tone, indicative of a front part of a surround sound, and to convert the acoustic front tone into an electric front signal. The receiver unit is configured to receive a wireless rear communication signal, indicative of a rear part of the surround sound, and to convert the rear communication signal into an electric rear signal. The audio processor is configured to receive the electric front signal and the electric rear signal and to determine a processed electric rear signal with respect to the electric front signal, by adjusting a time delay between the electric rear signal and the electric front signal and by adjusting a sound level of the electric rear signal according to a sound level of the electric front signal, wherein the audio processor of the first hearing aid is configured to adjust the time delay and the sound level of the electric rear signal differently than the audio processor of the second hearing aid, such that the combined acoustic output of the first hearing aid and of the second hearing aid form the rear part of the surround sound. |
| US09980057B2 |
Predictive power adjustment in an auditory prosthesis
In an auditory prosthesis having an external unit and an internal unit for implantation in a recipient, a method of operation includes: characterizing an acoustic signal received by the auditory prosthesis; adjusting at least one parameter of the auditory prosthesis based on the characterized acoustic signal; and processing the acoustic signal to provide an encoded signal for transmission to the internal unit; wherein an amount of energy transmitted in the encoded signal depends on the at least one parameter. |
| US09980055B2 |
Hearing device and a hearing system configured to localize a sound source
The problem of estimating the direction to one or more sound sources of interest relative to a user wearing a pair of hearing devices, e.g. hearing aids, is dealt with. A target signal is generated by a target signal source and transmitted through an acoustic channel to a microphone of a hearing system. Due to additive environmental noise, a noisy acoustic signal is received at the microphones of the hearing system. An essentially noise-free version of the target signal is transmitted to the hearing devices of the hearing system via a wireless connection. Each of the hearing devices comprises a signal processing unit comprising a sound propagation model of the acoustic propagation channel from the target sound source to the hearing device when worn by the user. The sound propagation model is configured to be used for estimating a direction-of-arrival of the target sound signal relative to the user. |
| US09980054B2 |
Stereophonic focused hearing
Eyewear for enhanced hearing includes a first sound detector positioned on or adjacent a first lens of the eyewear, and a second sound detector positioned on or adjacent a second lens of the eyewear. A processing unit positioned on the eyewear is in communication with the first and second sound detectors. The processing unit utilizes software that includes instructions for determining a time differential between detection of a sound by the first sound detector and detection of the same sound by the second sound detector. Because the time differential is proportional to the angular displacement of the sound from directly in front of the eyewear or person wearing the eyewear, sound signals corresponding to detected sounds having an angular displacement less than a stored maximum angular displacement value can be preferentially enhanced and transmitted via a data transmission module to a hearing aid device. |
| US09980051B2 |
MEMS loudspeaker having an actuator structure and a diaphragm spaced apart therefrom
The invention relates to a MEMS loudspeaker (1) for generating sound waves in the audible wavelength spectrum, with a carrier substrate (2) that features a substrate cavity (6) with two substrate openings (7, 8), which are formed on two opposite sides of the carrier substrate (2), an actuator structure (3), in particular a piezoelectric actuator structure, which is arranged in the area of one of the two substrate openings (7, 8) and is connected to the carrier substrate (2) in its edge area, and a membrane (4) anchored in its edge area, which, by means of the actuator structure (3), can be set into vibration for generating sound waves. In accordance with the invention, in a cross-sectional view of the MEMS loudspeaker (1), the membrane (4) is spaced at a distance from the actuator structure (3), such that an intermediate cavity (13) is formed between these two. Furthermore, the MEMS loudspeaker (1) features a coupling element (13) arranged in the intermediate cavity (13), which connects the actuator structure (3) to the membrane (4) and may vibrate with this with respect to the carrier substrate (2). |
| US09980045B2 |
Loudspeaker system comprising equalization dependent on volume control
The application relates to a loudspeaker system including an input unit providing an electric input audio signal; an equalization unit for modifying said electric input audio signal in dependence on frequency and to provide an equalized electric audio signal according to a predefined equalization function, a loudspeaker unit for converting said equalized electric audio signal to an acoustic output sound signal, and a user interface for modifying a volume level of said output sound signal in a multitude (N) of steps V0, V1, . . . , VN. The application further relates to a method communication device comprising the loudspeaker system and to its use. The present application provides an improved loudspeaker system in which the equalization unit is configured to apply a specific equalization function EQ0, EQ1, . . . , EQN to the electric input audio signal in each of said multitude of steps V0, V1, . . . , VN of the volume level. |
| US09980043B2 |
Method and device for adjusting balance between frequency components of an audio signal
A method comprising determining an audio noise spectrum that represents external audio noise, determining an audio reference spectrum that represents audio content to be perceived by a listener, and determining a compensation spectrum based on the audio noise spectrum and based on the audio reference spectrum. |
| US09980041B2 |
Acoustic system
An acoustic system includes: a first customer-side microphone; a first counselor-side microphone; a first sound changing unit; a first loudspeaker; a second customer-side microphone; a second counselor-side microphone; and a second loudspeaker. Between the second loudspeaker and the first customer-side microphone, a first sound transmission path is provided. Also, between the second loudspeaker and the first counselor-side microphone, a second sound transmission path is provided. These sound transmission paths have substantially the same length. The first sound signal generated by the first customer-side microphone is made to have a phase substantially opposite to that of the second sound signal generated by the first counselor-side microphone, and the sound signals are added together. |
| US09980038B2 |
Top port multi-part surface mount silicon condenser microphone
A surface mount package for a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) microphone die is disclosed. The surface mount package features a substrate with metal pads for surface mounting the package to a device's printed circuit board and for making electrical connections between the microphone package and the device's circuit board. The surface mount microphone package has a cover, and the MEMS microphone die is substrate-mounted and acoustically coupled to an acoustic port provided in the surface mount package. The substrate and the cover are joined together to form the MEMS microphone, and the substrate and cover cooperate to form an acoustic chamber for the substrate-mounted MEMS microphone die. |
| US09980035B1 |
Headphone retention mechanism
A head-mounted display assembly with a headphone retention mechanism. The head-mounted display assembly includes a display housing, a headphone assembly, a headphone storage region located on the body of the display housing, and a headphone retention mechanism at the headphone storage region. The headphone retention mechanism includes a magnetic element configured to produce a magnetic field that releasably retains the headphone assembly against the headphone storage region when a user positions the headphone assembly in the vicinity of the headphone storage region. |
| US09980032B2 |
Earphone device and sound-reproducing system using the same
An earphone device includes first and second earphone bodies into which respective electro-acoustic transducers are built; first and second cables, one end of each of which is connected to the respective earphone body and within each of which a switch member to be turned on by one-way press is disposed over a predetermined range along the length direction of the cable so that the cable has switch functions; wherein a switch is shunted into two switches by the first and second cables, portions of the first and second cables having switch functions are arranged one on top of the other, and an overlapped portion is unidirectionally pressed to simultaneously turn on the respective switches. In addition, a sound-reproducing system is configured by combining a mobile terminal which operates in conjunction with this earphone device. |
| US09980027B2 |
Microphone and housing of microphone
A microphone includes a microphone unit configured to convert a sound wave into an electrical signal. A cylindrical housing accommodates the microphone unit, and includes a a first opening portion that transmits the sound wave to the microphone unit. A sheet member having an air-permeable property and a water-repellent property covers the first opening portion. A frame including a second opening portion having a shape corresponding to a shape of the first opening portion covers the sheet member at a position of the first opening portion. A wind screen having a drainage property covers an exterior of the housing. |
| US09980021B2 |
Scalable switch fabric using optical interconnects
A scalable switch fabric using optical interconnects includes one or more line modules each including fabric interface optics supporting a plurality of optical output signals; an optical interconnect optically connected to each of the one or more line modules via the fabric interface optics; and one or more center stage switches, wherein the optical interconnect is adapted to shuffle the plurality of optical output signals from each of the one or more line modules to the one or more center stage switches. The optical interconnect can include two levels of shuffle to distribute each of the plurality of optical signals from each of the fabric interface optics to the one or more center stage switches. |
| US09980020B1 |
Remote locking system architecture and user interface
A remote locking system for a storage unit that allows a user device including a security token to remotely lock or unlock the storage unit. The user can include software or an application that communicates with the storage unit to provide locking statuses and tamper alerts for the storage unit. The storage unit can include a proximity sensor so the unit is unlocked when an authorized user device is within a certain distance of the storage unit. The system can further include a timer that disables communication between the user device and storage unit after a predetermined inactive period, so as to reduce cross-talk and power consumption. |
| US09980016B2 |
Video contextual advertisements using speech recognition
Embodiments of a computer-implemented advertisement display system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system includes a speech recognition component that processes a video clip and produces a corresponding collection of speech recognition data indicative of an audio portion of the video clip. The system also includes a collection of advertising material. An advertisement selection component selects an advertisement from the collection of advertising material based on the corresponding collection of speech recognition data. The system also includes a display. An advertisement presentation component displays an indication of the selected advertisement on the display during a simultaneous display of the video clip. |
| US09980013B2 |
Method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving broadcast signal for 3D broadcasting service
The present invention relates to a method and/or apparatus for transmitting and receiving a broadcast signal for a three-dimensional (3D) broadcasting service. A broadcast signal transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of: encoding each of packing frames, in which at least one frame among a left image frame, a right image frame, a depth map frame for the left image, and a depth map frame for the right image is packed, and signaling information for the packing frames; and generating a broadcast signal including the encoded packing frames and signaling information; and transmitting the generated broadcast signal. |
| US09980002B2 |
Intelligent TV control system and implementation method thereof
The present invention provides an intelligent TV control system and implementation method thereof, through a group of pressure sensors, pressure data and vital signs data of a plurality of body parts of user are collected; before being transmitted to terminal of intelligent TV, which then processes pressure data and vital signs data received from terminal of pressure sensors, and obtains sitting posture information and mental state information of user, before sending out a corresponding sitting posture adjustment advice or controlling to change play state of TV, based on sitting posture information and mental state information. The system and implementation method thereof, as described in present invention, by obtaining user state information, and controlling TV to adjust parameters automatically according to user state information, has improved an intelligence of intelligent TV, and provided convenience to users when using intelligent TV. |
| US09980001B2 |
Network amplifer in an audio video distribution system
The present disclosure describes a networked amplifier in an audio video distribution system that converts a digital audio signal to and from an analog audio signal used in a video and audio system that uses a TCP/IP LAN (local area network) using TCP/IP as the communication protocol. The networked amplifier includes a network controller where the controller includes an embedded controller with a processor, memory, and storage functioning as a web server. Further included is a digital signal processor (DSP) that includes a pre-amplifier, amplifier, and an electronic crossover for frequency division. Also included are analog sensors that used for receiving and or gathering control information that enables internal auto adjustment. And further included is an analog driver circuitry. |
| US09979999B2 |
Method, computer-readable storage medium, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for identifying available channels and/or services
A method, computer-readable storage medium, reception apparatus, and information providing apparatus for generating a list of accessible channels. The method includes retrieving from a primary server terrestrial broadcast channel information associated with a predetermined geographical region. The terrestrial broadcast channel information includes, for each broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographical region, one or a combination of a broadcast channel and a secondary server location associated with the respective broadcaster. Service information is retrieved, for each of at least one broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographical region, from a secondary server associated with the respective broadcaster based on the terrestrial broadcast channel information. The reception apparatus determines, for each of the at least one broadcaster associated with the predetermined geographical region, whether the broadcast channel associated with the respective broadcaster is receivable by the reception apparatus. The reception apparatus generates the list of accessible channels based on the determination. |
| US09979996B2 |
Method and system for operating a multi-room digital video recording system
A system and method for allocating tuner resources in a multi-room digital video recording system, wherein the system includes a server device having a plurality of tuners therein and a first client device in communication with the server device and allocated at least a first tuner from the plurality of tuners. A second client in communication client device generates a tuner request. The server device allocates the first tuner to the second user device and communicates a content signal through the first tuner to the second client device. |
| US09979995B2 |
Visual hot watch spots in content item playback
A method for providing visual hot watch spots in content item playback on a content sharing platform is disclosed. The method includes separating, by a processing device of a content sharing platform, a duration of a content item into time interval segments. The method further includes, for each of the time interval segments, determining a score for the time interval segment in view of one or more signals indicating a popularity of the time interval segment to users viewing the content item on the content sharing platform, and providing a visual indication of the score for the time interval segment of the content item in a user interface presenting the content item. |
| US09979989B2 |
Constructing a transport stream
There is disclosed a head-end system in which differently processed copies of content portions are reordered such that copies from different content portions are not interleaved in the final transport stream. |
| US09979980B2 |
Video encoding apparatus and a video decoding apparatus
A video encoding apparatus is a video encoding apparatus for subjecting a video image to motion compensated prediction coding, comprising an acquisition module to acquire available blocks of blocks having motion vectors from encoded blocks adjacent to a to-be-encoded block and number of the available blocks, an acquisition/selection module to select one selection block from the encoded available blocks, a selection information encoder to encode selection information specifying the selection block using a code table corresponding to the number of available blocks, and an image encoder to subject the to-be-encoded block to motion compensated prediction coding using a motion vector of the selection block. |
| US09979977B2 |
Methods and devices of generating and decoding image streams with respective verification data
A method and device of generating an image stream with verification data are provided. The method includes the following steps. First, determine at least one pixel in a first image according to a first encoding parameter. Then, generate a timing data sequence associated with information about the correlation between the verification data and time points according to a second encoding parameter and the verification data. Next, modify a pixel value of the at least one pixel in the first image to generate a second image according to the verification data corresponding to one of the time points in the timing data sequence. Lastly, generate the image stream including the second image. |
| US09979976B2 |
Light-weight video coding system and decoder for light-weight video coding system
The disclosure provides a Light-weight Video Coding system and a decoder for a Light-weight Video Coding system. The decoder includes: a mode decision module and a motion estimation module. The mode decision module, which adopts four flexible types of mode decision, is used for selecting a mode. And, it is used for selecting at least one predetermined block of a current frame according to the mode including plurality pixels. The motion estimation module, which adopts the Partial Boundary Matching Algorithm, is used for selecting partial neighbor pixels of left and top of the block according to the predetermined block in the current frame. And it is used for comparing with corresponding neighbor plurality pixels of left and top with a corresponding predetermined block in reference frame. It is determining whether the corresponding predetermined block in the reference frame copies and pastes to the predetermined block in the current frame. |
| US09979975B2 |
Bitstream restrictions on picture partitions across layers
Bitstream restrictions or constraints on the partitioning of pictures across layers of video data are described. In some examples, the number of tiles per picture for each layer of a plurality of layers is constrained based on a maximum number of tiles per picture for the layer. In some examples, the number of tiles per picture for each layer of the plurality of layers is no greater than the maximum number of tiles per picture for the layer. In some examples, a sum of the numbers of tiles per picture for the plurality of layers is no greater than a sum of the maximum numbers of tiles per picture for the plurality of layers. In some examples, a second largest coding unit (LCU) or coding tree block (CTB) size for a second layer is constrained based on, e.g., to be equal to, a first LCU size for a first layer. |
| US09979974B2 |
Method and apparatus for encoding/decoding multilayer video signal
A scalable video signal decoding method, according to the present invention, determines a corresponding picture belonging to a lower layer used for an inter-layer prediction of a current picture belonging to an upper layer, performs the inter-layer prediction of the current picture by using the corresponding picture of the determined lower layer, restores the current picture by using a prediction sample acquired through the inter-layer prediction and a residual sample of the current picture, and selectively applies a loop filter to a tile boundary of the restored current picture on the basis of a layer filter flag for the upper layer. |
| US09979967B2 |
Adaptive transform method based on in-screen prediction and apparatus using the method
Disclosed is an adaptive transform method based on an in-screen prediction, and an apparatus using the method. A method for encoding an image can comprise a step of determining in-screen prediction mode groups, and a step of transforming by using a different transform method according to the in-screen prediction mode group. As a result, transforming can be performed by applying the different transform method according to the in-screen prediction mode group. |
| US09979957B2 |
Vehicle vision system with targetless camera calibration
A camera calibration system for a vehicle includes a camera disposed at the vehicle and an image processor operable to process image data captured by the camera. The camera calibration system generates camera calibration parameters at least in part by iteratively refining calibration parameters starting from at least one of (i) an initial estimation and (ii) an intrinsic parameter of the camera. The camera calibration system uses a kinematic model of vehicle motion derived at least in part from image processing of multiple frames of captured image data. Responsive to such image processing, the camera calibration system extracts and matches features determined in multiple frames of captured image data. Responsive to image processing during movement of the vehicle along an arbitrary path, and responsive to generation of camera calibration parameters, the camera calibration system calibrates the camera as the vehicle navigates the arbitrary path. |
| US09979956B1 |
Sharpness and blemish quality test subsystem for eyecup assemblies of head mounted displays
An optical evaluation workstation evaluates quality metrics (e.g., sharpness, blemishes) of eyecup assemblies of a head mounted display (HMD). The workstation includes an eyecup assembly feeder, a camera, and a control module. The eyecup assembly feeder is configured to receive an eyecup assembly of a HMD, the eyecup assembly comprising an optics block rigidly fixed at a first distance to an electronic display panel. The camera is configured to capture one or more images of the one or more test patterns presented by the electronic display panel through the optics block. The control module is configured to modify at least one image of the one or more images using a transform, and determine a quality metric for the modified at least one image. |
| US09979955B1 |
Calibration methods for near-field acoustic imaging systems
An acoustic fingerprint imaging system is disclosed. In one embodiment, a controller can be coupled to a plurality of delay lines, each associated with a particular transducer. The controller can determine an interrogation point to focus acoustic energy. The controller can direct each of the plurality of delay lines to apply a delayed activation pulse to each transducer based, at least in part, on the transducer's distance from the interrogation point. |
| US09979953B1 |
Reflector-based depth mapping of a scene
The depth of one or more objects within a scene may be determined utilizing system that includes a single light source, a reflector (e.g., an ellipsoidal reflector), a shutter mechanism associated with the light source, and a camera. More particularly, the light source may output light that is directed towards the scene (a first set of light beams) and towards the reflector (a second set of light beams) utilizing the shutter mechanism. The reflector may reflect the second set of light beams towards the scene. The camera may then capture a first image that corresponds to the first set of light beams and a second image that corresponds to the second set of light beams. The depth of a particular one of the objects within the scene may be determined based at least in part on the first image and the second image. |
| US09979952B2 |
Method of creating a parallax video from a still image
A method for creating a parallax video from a still image includes following steps. Image segmentation is performed for separating at least a foreground object within the still image from an image background of the still image. A blank region of the image background is filled, and the blank region corresponds to where the separated foreground object locates within the still image. A virtual three-dimensional (3D) scene consisting of the foreground object and the image background is created. The virtual 3D scene is analyzed for determining a camera path; and, creating the parallax video by observing the virtual 3D scene with a virtual camera moving along the camera path. |
| US09979945B2 |
Systems, methods, and media for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image
Systems, methods, and media for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided. In accordance with some embodiments, systems for reconstructing a space-time volume from a coded image are provided, the systems comprising: an image sensor that outputs image data; and at least one processor that: causes a projection of the space-time volume to be captured in a single image of the image data in accordance with a coded shutter function; receives the image data; and performs a reconstruction process on the image data to provide a space-time volume corresponding to the image data. |
| US09979944B2 |
Image processing device and auto white balancing method
An auto white balancing method for image data includes calculating block variances for the image data and selecting blocks having a block variance higher than a block variance value. The method further includes selecting patches included in a gray zone defined at a color space, applying a corresponding block variance as a weight to the patches of the gray zone, adjusting a first mean value at the color space, and selecting first patch candidates belong to a first distribution at a luminance domain from among patches selected with reference to the adjusted first mean value. The method further includes selecting a shrunken gray zone corresponding to an anchor point in the gray zone and selecting second patch candidates having a second distribution at a color space and a luminance domain, from among patches included in the shrunken gray zone, and calculating a final gain for the image data by combining a first RGB gain and a second RGB gain respectively extracted from the first patch candidates and the second patch candidates. |
| US09979939B2 |
Light source assembly and laser projector
The disclosure discloses a light source assembly and a laser projector. An embodiment of the disclosure provides a light source assembly including a laser light emitter in at least one color, and a light guiding element arranged in a light path over which a light beam of the laser light emitter is transmitted; the light guiding element is configured to be moved to change the emergent angle of laser light beam being transmitted, thus adjusting the light path conveniently. |
| US09979937B2 |
Display system based on persistence of vision with a line screen
A display system for displaying an image is disclosed. The system comprises a projector comprising at least one collimated light source and a controller for receiving image data and controlling the light source, configured such that, in use, an array of columns of image data representing an image are projected sequentially onto a reflector. Due to persistence of vision they appear superimposed on one another when reflected into the eye of an observer and such that, when the observer's eye moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction of orientation of the projected columns the observer can view the image. |
| US09979934B1 |
Automated weather sensing system and method using cameras
Systems and methods can provide an indication of a weather condition. The system can utilize a processor that determines the weather condition from data associated with at least one camera at a remote location. The data can be compared to calibration data for the remote location to determine the weather condition. The indication can be provided to an aircraft. The camera can be a web camera, a traffic camera, infrared camera or other observation device. |
| US09979933B1 |
Modular vision system
This invention provides a modular vision system. In an embodiment, the modular vision system comprises at least three primary modules/components. A main module contains a vision sensor and processor. An optical module contains a lens, focusing and illumination assemblies. An interface module contains external connectors. This combination enables either a linear or angled arrangement. The main module includes with a mating surface on the side opposite the sensor that is angled with respect to the sensor plane. The interface module defines a mating surface with respect the surface containing the connectors for the cables. A connector removably interconnects the interface module and the main module. The connector assembly, and each individual contact, is constructed and arranged to enable interconnection of the main and interface modules in both the straight and right angle arrangements by rotating the modules about a 180-degree orientation. In each orientation, the connector delivers appropriate electrical contact. |
| US09979929B2 |
In-call command control
A network-based, e.g., cloud-based, and apparatus based in-call command control for dynamically performing user commands such as voice commands or gesture commands are provided. The result allows for hands free operation of a calling system including one where the user is located separate from a base station, and provides for recognizing both voice and gestural commands. Filtering of commands can be performed dynamically so that commands are not perceived by those participating in the call. Further, the user, who has given the command, can be notified regarding the performance of the requested command. |
| US09979927B2 |
Method and system for auxiliary data detection and delivery
A method and system for auxiliary data detection. Data is received on a hand-held device from a display of a signal on a monitor. The signal is visually displayed on the monitor at a frequency. A modulated video signal is received on the hand-held device from a display device. The modulated video signal contains auxiliary data modulated within a video signal in a substantially invisible way. The modulated video signal is demodulated to obtain the auxiliary data. At least one of the data or the auxiliary data is processed to identify a promotional opportunity available through the hand-held device. The user of the hand-held device is notified of availability of the promotional opportunity through the hand-held device. |
| US09979926B1 |
Dynamic segment slicing for faster video playback
A method, system, computer program product, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to control media content playback and reduce the time to commence playback of streamed media content. A client application receives a playback request to initiate playback of the media content. The client application downloads, from a server, a segment of the media content. The client application slices the segment into multiple smaller segments. The client application provides a subset of the multiple smaller segments to a video player. The subset of multiple smaller segments enable the video player to commence playback of the media content. |
| US09979925B2 |
Method and arrangement for supporting playout of content
Methods and arrangements in a client node and a server node support a decision on decoding and playout of a certain content in the client node. The methods and arrangements relate to the determining, conveying and obtaining of information related to the characteristics (level) required for decoding and playing out the certain media content at a non-regular playout rate. The method and arrangement in the client node further relate to determining, based on the obtained information, which playout rate(s) is/are supported by the client node in regard of level. The methods and arrangements enable the client node to refrain from attempting to decode and play out of the content at a non-regular rate requiring a level which is not supported by the client node. |
| US09979924B1 |
Vehicle video camera/recorder initiated emergency calling
A system includes a processing device and a personal communication device. The processing device may be configured to (i) be mounted in a vehicle, (ii) detect conditions indicative of an accident, (iii) communicate collected data to the personal communication device via a wireless protocol, and (iv) initiate an emergency call using the personal communication device. The personal communication device may be configured to upload at least a portion of the collected data to a remote location in response to the emergency call being initiated. |
| US09979922B2 |
Low power consumption display device
A display device (2) includes a processor (13) that outputs drawing data and a timing controller (11) that outputs the drawing data input from the processor according to horizontal synchronization and vertical synchronization. When a still image region where drawing data has not been updated compared with a previous frame and a moving image region where drawing data has been updated compared with a previous frame are included in one frame, the processor transmits data update information, which is for specifying the position of the moving image region or a line including the moving image region, to the timing controller temporally earlier than drawing data of the line including the moving image region. The timing controller performs processing for lowering the frame rate of the still image region or processing for thinning out some of image lines of the still image region based on the data update information. |
| US09979920B2 |
Solid-state image device, image data transmission method, and camera system with a single-end driver and differential driver
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array, an AD converting unit converting each of a plurality of analog signals read from the pixel array to a plurality of digital signals and outputting the digital signals, a transmission mode selection register, first and second output terminals, a single-end driver which has first and second input terminals coupled to the digital signals and which has third and fourth terminals, and a differential driver which has third and fourth input terminals coupled to the digital signals and which has fifth and sixth terminals. |
| US09979919B2 |
Solid-state imaging device and imaging system
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel signal-processing unit which includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, wherein the pixel signal-processing unit outputs an total pixel signal while outputting a reduced pixel signal; a difference calculation unit which outputs a digital value obtained by calculating a difference between a digital value indicating a magnitude of the total pixel signal and a digital value indicating a magnitude of the reduced pixel signal; and a bit number reduction unit which reduces the number of bits of either the digital value obtained by calculating the difference, or the digital value indicating the magnitude of the total pixel signal, and outputs a digital value whose number of bits is reduced, wherein the solid-state imaging device outputs the digital value corresponding to the total pixel signal and the digital value indicating the magnitude of the reduced pixel signal. |
| US09979916B2 |
Imaging apparatus and imaging system
An imaging apparatus includes: a first signal processing circuit arranged in a first direction to process a signal from a first group of pixels; a second signal processing circuit arranged in a second direction to process a signal from a second group of pixels; a first external connecting terminal arranged in the first direction to supply a first potential to the first signal processing circuit; a second external connecting terminal arranged in the second direction to supply the first potential to the second signal processing circuit; a third external connecting terminal arranged in the first direction to supply a second potential to the first group of pixels; and a fourth external connecting terminal arranged in the second direction to supply the second potential to the second group of pixels. |
| US09979915B2 |
Pixel array with shared pixels in a single column and associated devices, systems, and methods
Pixel array with shared pixels in a single column and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a pixel array includes a floating diffusion region, a source a source follower transistor having a gate coupled to the floating diffusion region, a plurality of first pixels associated with a first color, and a plurality of second pixels associated with a second color different than the first color and arranged in a single column with the first pixels. The first and second pixels are configured to transfer charge to the floating diffusion region. |
| US09979896B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, electronic equipment and program
The present technology relates to an image processing apparatus, an image processing method, electronic equipment and a program which can remove cyclic noise from an image including the cyclic noise.An estimating unit configured to estimate cyclic noise components included in each image picked up under different exposure conditions for each image is included. The estimating unit estimates the cyclic noise components for each image through operation utilizing mutual relationship between the noise components under the exposure conditions. For example, the cyclic noise is flicker. The mutual relationship between the noise components may be expressed with a shutter function of the exposure conditions in frequency space. The present technology may be applied to an imaging apparatus. |
| US09979895B2 |
High dynamic range tone mapping
Embodiments herein disclose a tone mapping system that generates a base layer by filtering a frame in an HDR video. The tone mapping system then generates a tone curve using a tone mapping parameter derived from the base layer—e.g., a mean or maximum luminance value. Once the tone curve parameter is identified, the system performs temporal filtering to smooth out inconsistencies between the current value of the tone curve parameter and the values of tone curve parameter of at least one previous frame in the HDR video. The tone mapping system applies the temporally filtered tone curve to the base layer to generate a temporally coherent layer. The temporally coherent base layer can be combined with a detail layer derived from the HDR video to generate a frame of a tone mapped video. |
| US09979887B1 |
Architecture for video, fast still and high quality still picture processing
A circuit configured to (i) color correct an input signal having at least one input image and (ii) generate a compressed signal based on said input signal after said input signal undergoes processing. The circuit may have a plurality of re-sampler circuits comprising dedicated hardware circuits that are allocated differently to perform the processing based upon an image type. The processing of the input signal as a video type of the image type and as a still type of the image type involves at least two passes of the input image through at least three of the re-sampler circuits in multiple passes. |
| US09979885B2 |
Apparatus and method for capture of 360° panoramic video image and simultaneous assembly of 360° panoramic zoetropic video image
An electronic device comprises a display and a 360° variable planar panoramic video controller to present on the display a capture screen to guide the user to capture a near-seamless 360° panoramic video image. Simultaneously with the completion of the video capture, a 360° panoramic zoetropic video image is assembled from still images selected at intervals during the 360° continuous directional physical rotation of the electronic capture device. |
| US09979884B2 |
Image capturing device, and image capturing method
A multiview imaging part includes a plurality of imaging units. An exposure setting section individually sets an exposure value in each of the plurality of imaging units. The exposure setting section sets, in each of the imaging units, an individual reference exposure value and relative exposure values. The relative exposure values are obtained by changing the reference exposure value in a given number of steps in such a manner that the relative exposure values are centered around the reference exposure value. A panoramic image storage section stores captured images having different exposure values captured by the imaging units whose exposure values have been set by the exposure setting section. An HDR synthesis section synthesizes the captured images having different exposure values so as to generate a captured image having an adjusted dynamic range. |
| US09979878B2 |
Intuitive camera user interface methods and apparatus
Zoom and focus control user interface methods and apparatus are described. Acceleration is monitored and interpreted to detect camera motion. Acceleration indicative of camera motion in a forward or backward direction is used to control zoom in or zoom out operations when a zoom function is enabled. The zoom function can be enabled by touching a touch sensor or pressing a button. Thus, by activating the zoom function and making intuitive movements forward or backward which can be detected through the use of sensors, a user can control zoom in and zoom out operations in an intuitive manner with little risk of shaking the camera or interfering with image capture that might occur if a touch display or other zoom control was used to control zoom operation while capturing one or more images. The zoom control function is well suited for use with still cameras and video cameras. |
| US09979876B2 |
Imaging apparatus, imaging method, and storage medium
A phase difference pixel extraction unit reads phase difference pixel data obtained by performing a storing operation in the same storing time for each of the phase difference pixels in each frame of an imaging operation of an image pickup device. A phase difference pixel calculation unit adds the read frame-by-frame phase difference pixel data of the same coordinates in a current frame and a past frame. A determination unit determines whether to perform a focus detection operation based on the added phase difference pixel data. A ranging calculation processing unit applies the added phase difference pixel data when it is determined, and otherwise applies the phase difference pixel data in the current frame. |
| US09979874B2 |
Image capturing apparatus and pixel scanning method for image generation
An image capturing apparatus comprises an imaging unit that includes imaging pixels that are arranged in a two-dimensional array and focus detection pixels arranged in part of the array of the imaging pixels, and a control unit that controls to read out pixel signals of imaging lines including the imaging pixels each configured to output a signal used for image generation, and pixel signals of focus detection lines including the focus detection pixels, wherein the control unit changes one of a thinning method and an addition method between the imaging lines and the focus detection lines. |
| US09979872B2 |
Photographing apparatus and method of controlling the same
A photographing apparatus for photographing a scene happening in a very short moment, such as an impact moment, in a high speed movement, such as a golf swing movement, a baseball swing movement, etc., and a method of controlling the photographing apparatus are provided. The method of controlling the photographing apparatus includes: receiving an input with respect to a region of interest during the swing movement; receiving a portion of the swing movement, which is input on an area of a screen, in a state in which a live view image is displayed on the screen; determining a rotational angle of a swing object based on the received portion of the swing movement; and determining a point in time of photographing with respect to the region of interest, based on the determined rotational angle, and photographing a subject at the determined point in time of photographing. |
| US09979871B2 |
Radio-frequency trigger signal system apparatus and method
A radio-frequency trigger signal system apparatus and method for transmitting a radio-frequency signal coordinated with the pulling of a trigger on a weapon such as a firearm, causing cameras on the weapon, the shooter's person, nearby persons or vehicles, and nearby fixed-position cameras to activate, if needed, to flag photographs and videos taken, and optionally to log and notify an appropriate authority of the pulling of the trigger. |
| US09979863B2 |
Method, system and computer readable medium for processing a medical video image
A method, as well as a system and a computer readable medium based on the method, for reducing perceived noise. The method comprises the steps of determining an area of interest in the image, the area of interest being determined in dependence of a foveal vision of a user, and applying a stronger noise filtering in a peripheral area of the image than in the area of interest, the peripheral area being outside the area of interest and corresponding to a peripheral vision of the user. |
| US09979862B1 |
Buffering method for video playing, storage medium and device
A buffering method for video playing includes: playing a video according to an amount of video buffer data and a predefined playing threshold, and monitoring a network speed; determining whether the network speed meets a predefined condition; and updating a previously set video buffer depth and the playing threshold according to the network speed if the network speed meets the predefined condition. A storage medium and device are also provided. |
| US09979861B2 |
Photographing apparatus
A photographing apparatus includes a first timing signal generator that generates a first timing signal, a second timing signal generator that generates a second timing signal, a phase difference control unit that controls so that a phase difference between the first timing signal and the second timing signal is a predetermined phase difference, a sensor that is driven based on the first timing signal, an image processing unit that generates an image to be displayed by a line unit based on an output of the sensor, a display unit that is driven based on the second timing signal and displays an image by a line unit after an image processing by the image processing unit, and an error information acquisition unit that acquires information indicating a presence or absence of an error in which a line image to be displayed is not generated in the image processing unit. |
| US09979860B2 |
Image forming apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing color-conversion control program, and color-conversion control method
An image forming apparatus includes a printing unit, an in-line colorimeter and an in-line scanner. A hardware processor is configured to control the printing unit, the in-line colorimeter and the in-line scanner, to perform the following operations. The hardware processor uses the printing unit to print a first color chart to be measured with the in-line scanner and an external colorimeter, and a second color chart to be measured with the in-line scanner and the in-line colorimeter. A hardware processor creates a scanner profile based on RGB values and colorimetric values of patches of the second size in the second area in the first color chart, and uses RGB values and colorimetric values of patches of the first size in the first area in each of the first and second color charts, to calculates correction amounts for use in estimation of colorimetric values by using the scanner profile. |
| US09979858B2 |
Image processing apparatus, image processing method and program
To specify a contour to be detected even when there are a plurality of candidates of the contour on the periphery of a photographing target, an image processing apparatus comprises: a determining unit which detects a plurality of candidate points being the candidates of the contour of a subject based on distance image information of the subject in an image, and determines an inspection-target area in the image based on the detected candidate points; and a specifying unit which detects line segments existing in the inspection-target area determined by the determining unit, based on luminance information of the inspection-target area, and specifies the line segment being the contour of the subject based on the candidate point from the detected line segments. |
| US09979848B2 |
Information processing apparatus, cooperation system and computer readable medium
An information processing apparatus configured to control a cooperation operation that is to be executed by a first apparatus and a second apparatus, executes: reception processing of receiving the target data from the first apparatus; first determination processing of determining whether the information processing apparatus can communicating with the second apparatus; storing control processing of storing the received target data in a storage unit when it is determined in the first determination processing that the communication unit is in a non-communicable state with the second apparatus; second determination processing of determining whether the information processing apparatus cannot communicate with the second apparatus, after executing the storing control processing; and transmission processing of wirelessly transmitting the target data stored in the storage unit to the second apparatus through the communication unit when the information processing apparatus can communicate with the second apparatus. |
| US09979846B2 |
Non-transitory computer readable mediums and information processing apparatus generating print data and preview data
There is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program for a computer of an information processing apparatus, the program causing the computer of the information processing apparatus to carry out: acquiring an image data as a print object; generating a print data, which is an image data for printing, after determining whether or not to change a direction of the acquired image data based on a double-side print setting, and changing the direction of the image data in a case in which the image data is determined to change the direction; generating a preview data, which is an image data for previewing, from the print data after rechanging the once-changed direction of the image data in a case in which the print data is generated after changing the direction of the image data; and displaying the generated preview data onto the information processing apparatus. |
| US09979845B2 |
Image reading apparatus and image reading method
A controller of an image reading apparatus is configured to cause the reading device to read an image on an original with moving a reading location from a first position to a second position, after reading the image on the original with moving the reading location from a third position to the first position, the third position being a position between the first position and the second position and spaced from the first position by a particular distance and determining a width of the original in the main scanning direction. The controller is configured to further move the reading location from the second position to the first position, and detect an instruction to continue reading a subsequent original during a period before the reading location reaches the third position. When the instruction is detected, the controller stops moving the reading location when it reaches the third position. |
| US09979843B2 |
Printing system, printing device, reward management device, and non-transitory computer readable medium
There is provided a printing system. A reward information memory stores reward identification information and an upper limit amount in association with each other. A set charge memory stores a usage charge for each print setting. A specification unit obtains an upper limit amount in association with the input reward identification information from the reward information memory, and specifies selectable print settings within a range of the upper limit amount from the information stored in the set charge memory. A controller controls the execution of printing so as to be executed with the print settings specified by the specification unit. |
| US09979841B2 |
Information processing apparatus, control method, and storage medium for performing print data transmission methods suitable for each situation by causing an image forming apparatus to acquire print data by a suitable method based on whether the image forming apparatus can acquire the print data from a conversion server
A mobile terminal transmits a document file to a conversion server. In a case where it is determined that an image forming apparatus is capable of acquiring from the conversion server print data acquired by converting the document file, information for acquisition of the print data from the conversion server by the image forming apparatus is transmitted to the image forming apparatus. In a case where it is determined that the image forming apparatus is not capable of acquiring the print data from the conversion server, the print data is acquired from the conversion server and transmitted to the image forming apparatus. |
| US09979838B2 |
Image forming apparatus and method for controlling image forming apparatus
An image forming apparatus including: a hard disk configured to store data; a hard disk malfunction detecting unit configured to detect malfunction of the hard disk; a partition confirmation unit configured to determine as to whether a malfunctioning portion of the hard disk is in a preliminary determined partition; and a partition formatting unit configured to format the partition, wherein, when the malfunctioning portion of the hard disk detected by the hard disk malfunction detecting unit is determined as being in the partition preliminary determined by the partition confirmation unit, the partition formatting unit formats the partition. |
| US09979834B2 |
Wireless access point having metering capability and metering display
The disclosure provides a system and method for metering on a prepaid wireless access point the amount of data transferred between a wireless device and the Internet and inhibiting further data transmission when the amount of prepaid data available reaches or drops below a pre-determined threshold. Specifically, the wireless access point includes a metering client to track one of data usage or an amount of prepaid data available. When the metering client indicates that the amount of data available has dropped below a pre-determined threshold, the wireless access point inhibits further data transmission. |
| US09979833B2 |
Method for controlling usage time of electronic device
A using time control method for electronic device includes the following steps. In a monitoring period, obtain a first usage datum of a first event executed by the electronic device, a second usage datum of a second event executed by the electronic device and a third usage datum of the first event and the second event both executed by electronic device. Obtain a detection value according to a first weighting rule, the first usage datum, the second usage datum and the third usage datum. Selectively limit the part of operation functions of the electronic device according to the detection value and the first threshold value. |
| US09979828B1 |
Voice virtual private network
Embodiments of the present invention include a Voice Virtual Private Network (Voice VPN) and methods for providing access to remote peer users across same. In one embodiment, voice and communication services of one or more corporate network are provided to remote user terminals across a Voice VPN Gateway. The level and type of access to voice and communication services provided can be determined statically, dynamically, or adaptively based on user data or user habits or history. |
| US09979826B1 |
Connection specific selection of automated response messages
Software and computer processor implemented system and method of providing customized automated responses to different types of incoming electronic messages from various contact sources, particularly useful for preventing distracted driving or distractions at a place of work or at a place of rest and relaxation. Here the invention's software, often in the form of an app, runs on a smartphone or other computerized device configured to automatically connect to various devices, such as automobile associated Bluetooth peripherals or WiFi access points/routers. When operating, the app causes active connections to automatically trigger auto response mode in response to incoming messages. Optionally, different automated responses to be assigned to different connected device identification codes or different incoming message originators. Various prioritization schemes, such as last active connection dominates, and various ways in which different contact specific automated responses may interact with various device specific automated responses, are also discussed. |
| US09979821B2 |
System and method for advanced campaign management
A system and method are presented for advanced campaign management in outbound dialing platforms. In a contact center environment, a dialing campaign may be configured such that the outbound dialing platform modifies its behavior automatically throughout the dialing campaign as conditions change. Dialing campaigns may be constructed from groups, which are organized into a campaign sequence. As the campaign sequence flows between groups, details of the campaign may be monitored and evaluated by the platform. Group transitions may be initiated based on activation triggers. In an embodiment, campaign sequences may also be automatically transitioned to new campaign sequences, paused, or reset based on activation triggers. A transition may also be initiated by manual override of the platform. |
| US09979820B2 |
Predictive resource scheduling for efficient sales and marketing acceleration
A system and method for establishing a communication with a customer by an agent, via one or more communication modes includes an agent computer and a second computer. The agent computer receives an identify notification that enables the agent computer to identify a customer for the communication, and receives agent schedule information that enables identifying a schedule timeslot of the agent as predicted by the system for a communication session. The second computer provides the identify notification enabling the agent computer to identify the identified customer. The system predicts the schedule timeslot of the agent, by taking into account a number of agent based touches that may need to be executed. |
| US09979819B2 |
Unified call routing in social hunt groups
Telephone call routing in a hunt group is based upon monitoring computer activities of the members (devices, people) of the hunt group. For example, a hunt group's member activity score may be based upon how many incoming hunt group calls that member handles. This high activity score is then used to control that member's place in the call routing order. |
| US09979818B2 |
Caller ID verification
A device may receive first identification information associated with a sending device. The first identification information may be provided by a receiving device, and may be associated with a request to establish a connection between the sending device and the receiving device. The device may receive a request to verify the first identification information. The device may determine, based on the request, second identification information identifying the sending device. The second identification information may be provided by the sending device, and may be associated with the request to establish the connection between the sending device and the receiving device. The device may compare the second identification information and the first identification information. The device may provide verification information indicating a result of the comparison. |
| US09979816B1 |
Reduction in network congestion
A system, method and non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that when read by a processor perform receiving a telephony connection request at a location in a telephony network, the location separated from the intended recipient of the telephony connection request by a target telephony network, determining addressing information regarding the intended recipient, the addressing information including at least routing information or a phone number, accessing a do-not-call list, the do-not-call-list including one or more telephony recipients and recipient addressing information for each telephony recipient, the recipient addressing information including at least routing information or a phone number, and determining whether the target addressing information matches any recipient addressing information. |
| US09979812B2 |
Personalizing interaction with a structure
Methods, devices, and systems for personalizing interaction with a structure are described herein. One method includes determining a comfort preference associated with a user of a mobile device corresponding to a particular location with respect to a structure, storing the comfort preference in a memory, and modifying an operation of at least one device in the structure to provide the comfort preference responsive to a distance between the mobile device and the particular location being less than a particular threshold. |
| US09979811B2 |
Controller, control system, and method for controlling control system
A HEMS controller receives a control instruction of an electric appliance from a mobile terminal via a server and transmits the control instruction to the electric appliance. When no instruction is given from the mobile terminal, the HEMS controller judges whether communication with the server is continued. When judging that communication is not continued, the HEMS controller transmits, to the electric appliance, a control signal for turning off power of the electric appliance. |
| US09979808B2 |
Mobile terminal and controlling method thereof
A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof is provided via which a user's state can be reflected in various activities performed in the mobile terminal by utilizing the set indicator information. The mobile terminal includes a controller to set an indicator indicating a user's environment and a display unit to display information on the set indicator in response to a control command of the controller. |
| US09979807B2 |
Method for managing a call journal, device, computer program, and software product for this purpose
A method for managing a call log of a communication device (100), wherein the call log has log entries on outgoing and/or incoming calls, wherein each log entry has communication metadata that include at least one connection identifier of the communication partner, date and time of the call and direction of the call and preferably include location information of the communication device at the time of the call, includes the steps: a) generation of a display list with list entries that are derived from the log entries of the call log, and b) provision of the display list for a user of the communication device. According to the invention, the order of the list entries in the display list is determined by an evaluation of at least one criterion selected from the group that includes current device parameters, current connection parameters, upcoming or current calendar events, a previous frequency of contact with the communication partner to whom the log entry is assigned, previous acceptances/rejections when contacted by the communication partner to whom the log entry is assigned, weather data, for example, temperature and/or precipitation at the time the display list was generated. The invention also relates to a device, a corresponding computer program and a corresponding software product. |
| US09979805B1 |
Multi-functional apparatus for mobile phone and tablet computer
A multi-functional apparatus is provided with a casing including first openings, a second opening, a third opening, a fourth opening, a fifth opening, and first and second cavities; a PCB in the casing and including a plurality of USB ports in the first openings respectively, an on/off switch in the second opening, a power-on light in the third opening, a power connector in the fourth opening, and a USB receptacle in the fifth opening; first and second holders retractably disposed in the first and second cavities respectively, each of the first and second holders including a horizontal platform and a vertical door; a seat on the PCB and including exposed recesses; and hollow members each including two peripheral flanges on lower and upper ends respectively, and wells on the peripheral flanges respectively. The lower flange of each hollow member is releasably disposed in one of the recesses. |
| US09979802B2 |
Assembling response packets
Proposed is an action machine for assembling response packets in a network processor. The action machine comprises: a first register array adapted to store data for entry into fixed-length fields of differing response packets, a fixed-length field having the same length in the differing response packets; and a second register array adapted to store data for entry into variable-length fields of differing response packets, a variable-length field having different values or lengths in the differing response packets. The action machine is adapted to assemble a response packet by combining data stored in the first register array with data stored in the second register array. |
| US09979800B2 |
Methods, devices, and systems for determining a subset for autonomous sharing of digital media
Methods, systems, and devices for determining a subset of user devices from among a complete set of user devices based on a set of received information, i.e., attributes, associated with a photograph or user device that transmitted the photograph and attributes, where the disposition of the information may be used to determine the subset and then perform facial recognition check on the subset of user associated photographs in order to accurately identify each user or users present in the photograph. |
| US09979796B1 |
Efficient pre-fetching notifications
A method includes sending to a user device prefetch notifications, which notify the user device of available prefetch updates. Requests are received from the user device for one or more first prefetch updates, selected by the user device in response to the prefetch notifications. Selected prefetch updates are delivered to the user device, including both (i) one or more of the requested first prefetch updates, and (ii) one or more second prefetch updates selected from among the available prefetch updates not in response to any request from the user device. |
| US09979795B1 |
Managing presence state
A client application server (CAS) can include a presence layer configured to compute a published presence state for a client of the given CAS that characterizes at least one of an ability and a willingness of the client to communicate with another communication endpoint. The presence layer can also be configured to provide the published presence state for the client to a presence layer of at least another CAS according to a subscription request provided from the another CAS. |
| US09979790B1 |
Long term evolution communication network to route Vehicle-to-X (V2X) data communications
A Long Term Evolution (LTE) data communication network to route Vehicle-to-X (V2X) data communications. The LTE communication network includes an LTE network central core and distributed LTE network cores individually connected to LTE network agents. The LTE communication network further includes a wireless base station receiving V2X service data individually associating the distributed LTE network cores and the LTE network agents with multiple V2X service types; and receiving user communication data identifying one of the V2X service types from the vehicle UE. If the identified V2X service type is associated with one of the LTE network agents, then the wireless base station transfers the user communication data to the associated distributed LTE network core for delivery to the associated one of the LTE network agents. If the identified V2X service type is not associated with one of the LTE network agents, then the wireless base station transfers the user communication data to the LTE network central core. |
| US09979787B2 |
Information processing system, network storage device, and non-transitory recording medium
A network storage device that includes a plurality of storage regions configured to store data; and circuitry that selects at least one of the storage regions in accordance with instruction information, and synchronizes data stored in the at least one of the storage regions with a server connected to the network storage device via a network. |
| US09979782B2 |
Low-power and low-latency device enumeration with cartesian addressing
An enumeration technique is provided that requires no pre-assignment of addresses to slave devices connected through P2P links to a host device. With regard to any P2P link between devices, one device has a master interface and the remaining device has a slave interface. To distinguish between the master and slave interfaces, a master/slave status bit may be used. Each P2P link has a link ID that may be concatenated with the status bit for a corresponding interface (slave or master) to form a node ID. The host device receives a unique concatenated address from each slave device that represents a concatenation of the node ID for the slave and the node ID for any intervening interfaces between the slave device and the host device. The host device then assigns a unique Cartesian address to each slave device. |
| US09979777B1 |
Scoring stream items with models based on user interests
A system and method for generating a stream of content includes a content stream module that generates a model based on user input and/or prior activities using heterogeneous data sources. The heterogeneous data sources include search, entertainment, social activity and activity on third-party sites. The content stream module retrieves candidate content items that have interests that are similar to the user. The candidate content items are compared to the model and scored based upon interestingness of the content item to the user. The content stream module generates the stream of content from the candidate content items. |
| US09979776B2 |
Remotely locating and commanding a mobile device
Methods and systems are presented for remotely commanding a mobile device. In one aspect, a method includes receiving input identifying a mobile device, presenting to a user one or more remote commands corresponding to the mobile device, receiving user input selecting a remote command from the one or more presented remote commands, generating a remote command message instructing the mobile device to execute the selected remote command, and transmitting the remote command message to a server for publication in a message topic. Further, a selectable list of mobile devices associated with a remote management account can be presented to the user, the selectable list including information uniquely identifying each mobile device. Additionally, the selectable list of mobile devices can include an indication of whether an included mobile device is online. |
| US09979775B2 |
Image formation apparatus, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and method for managing user information stored in a browser
An MFP includes a processor following a user instruction to execute a browser and cause a display device to display a designated web page. In doing so, the processor obtains user information and stores it to a memory. The processor determines that the user information stored in the memory is deleted at a point of time at which the processor determines that the MFP presents a predefined state allowing the MFP to end displaying a web page or at a point of time at which the processor determines that a user operation is done that is predefined to cause the MFP to end displaying the web page. At the earlier one of these points of time, the processor deletes the user information stored in the memory. |
| US09979774B2 |
Debugging and formatting feeds for presentation based on elements and content items
A digital magazine server receives feeds of content items from various sources and formats content items from the feed for presentation in a digital magazine. The digital magazine server determines whether the content items from the feed satisfy one or more rules specifying presentation of content items by the digital magazine server. Content items from a feed are compared to the one or more rules to generate results specifying whether various content items satisfy one or more of the rules. To simplify review of the content items, results are grouped for each content item to allow the source of the feed to individually edit the content items to comply with the one or more rules. |
| US09979773B2 |
Managing task object state utilizing a reliable messaging model
Embodiments of the present invention address deficiencies of the art in respect to task object state management for workflow management systems and provide a novel and non-obvious method, system and computer program product for managing task object state utilizing a reliable messaging model. In an embodiment of the invention, a method for managing task object state utilizing a reliable messaging model is provided. The method includes transmitting according to a reliable messaging protocol a launch request for a task object in a workflow over a computer communications network to a remote server. The method also includes determining from the reliable messaging protocol whether or not the launch request has failed. Finally, the method includes responding to a determination that the launch request has failed, by transmitting a test request to the remote server using a protocol other than the reliable messaging protocol and setting a state of the task object as failed only if the remote server responds to the test request. |
| US09979772B2 |
Data streaming method of an electronic device and the electronic device thereof
A data streaming method of an electronic device include receiving an information file of a multimedia content from a server, retrieving time information for a unit of data transmission in the information file, and determining an allowed reception time of the data transmission time for a data transmission. An electronic device includes a communication interface configured to access a server, and a processor configured to communicate with the server accessed through the communication interface, wherein the processor is configured to receive an information file of a multimedia content from the server, retrieve time information of a data transmission unit in the information file, and determine an allowed reception time of the data transmission time based on the time information of the unit of data transmission. |
| US09979767B2 |
Transmitting and receiving media packet streams
This invention concerns the transmitting and receiving of digital media packets, such as audio and video channels and lighting instructions. The network (104) is comprised of at least a transmitter device (110) and a receiving device (112). The controllers (122) and (126) of these devices handle the exchanging of configuration messages between the devices (110) and (112). Using the invention, the user is not required to manually configure the processor to receive media packet streams. Instead, a controller (126) of a receiving device (112) operates to receive information on a user selection of media channels and automatically configure the processor of the transmitter device. Further, the receiving device (112) is able to receive media channels using both unicast and multicast protocols. Media channels can be given textual labels which are unique on the unique (104) and easily identify to the user the actual source of the media channel. Media channels of different formats to be sent on the same net work simultaneous. Further, redundant media channels are easily accommodated. |
| US09979764B2 |
Media support in secure mobile applications
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for providing secure resources to a native operating system resource are described herein. Using one or more aspects described herein, a mobile device may determine that a native operating system service requests to access content located within a wrapped application. The mobile device may transmit, to the native operating system service, a server path to a loopback web server within the wrapped application to elicit a request from the native operating system service to the loopback web server for the content. In response to receiving a request comprising the server path to the loopback web server to retrieve the content from the loopback web server, the mobile device may instruct the loopback web server to transmit an unencrypted version of the content to the native operating system service. |
| US09979759B2 |
System and method for managing multi-media conferences using group segmentation
A conference management system that is capable of managing one or more panels within a teleconference. The conference manager is capable of receiving commands for the purposes of configuring one or more panels and, during a teleconference, activating various panels at various times. In particular, the conference manager is configured to add participants in a teleconference to a panel. The conference manager is also configured to activate a panel, which has the effect of unmuting the audio and video media of the participants previously identified as members of the panel. The conference manager can be further configured to restore the conference to its previous mode, such as a lecture mode in which a lecturer participant is identified as a permanent speaker such that activating and deactivating a panel does not result in the lecturer being muted. Muting treatments other than activating a panel can also be applied to the teleconference. |
| US09979757B1 |
Method and apparatus for providing a media content from a collaborative meeting to a remote user
According to an example computer-implemented method, a first client on a proxy server joins a collaborative meeting on behalf of a user. The collaborative meeting is hosted on a first meeting platform, and the first client utilizes the first meeting platform. The first client receives media content from the collaborative meeting on behalf of the user. The proxy server transmits the received media content to a second client on a computing device of the remote user that utilizes a different, second meeting platform. A computing device and computer program product implementing similar features are also disclosed. |
| US09979756B2 |
Recovery from a potential proxy call session control function (P-CSCF) failure during call origination
A user device registers with a proxy-call session control function device (P-CSCF) associated with an Internet protocol (IP) multimedia subsystem (IMS). The user device forwards a request to the P-CSCF requesting a session via the IMS for an IMS call. If a response to the request is not received from the P-CSCF during a time period after forwarding the request, the user device attempts to newly register with the P-CSCF. If the new registration is successful, the user device re-forwards the request to the P-CSCF. Otherwise, if the new registration with the P-CSCF is unsuccessful, the user device registers with a different P-CSCF and forwards the request to the second P-CSCF. |
| US09979754B2 |
Emergency call back for session initiation protocol sessions
An Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) process receives a first Internet Protocol (IP) address that is associated with a Media Access Control (MAC) address of a communication endpoint. A first Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) INVITE for an emergency call request is received from the communication endpoint. The ARP process receives a second IP address that is associated with the MAC address of the communication endpoint. A second SIP INVITE is received that is a request for an emergency call back. The second SIP INVITE is routed to the communication endpoint based on the second IP address associated with the MAC address of the communication endpoint to reestablish the emergency call with the communication endpoint. |
| US09979752B1 |
Selective regulation of information transmission from mobile applications to third-party privacy compliant target systems
Selective regulation of information transmission from mobile applications to a third-party privacy compliant target system. A privacy policy is configured for and mapped to each of a multiplicity of mobile application concerns, with each privacy policy comprising rules regulating the transmission of information to a third-party privacy compliant target system. Instrumentation instructions can be integrated with a mobile application and provided to a mobile device. The instrumentation instructions direct the mobile application to submit a privacy policy request comprising a mobile application identifier from the mobile device to a third-party privacy compliance system and enable sending information from the mobile device to the third-party privacy compliant target system, subject to the privacy policy. The privacy policy request is received at the third-party privacy compliance system which selects the privacy policy based on an application identifier and sends the privacy policy to the mobile device for implementation. |
| US09979744B1 |
Dynamic risk engine
Various embodiments of the present invention generally relate to identity authentication and/or recognition. Some embodiments provide a method for determining when a user may engage in a restricted activity, including engaging in an initial contact with a user via a medium for exchange, receiving a request to engage in an activity, determining an activity trust threshold required for the activity, determining an initial identity trust score for the user, and comparing the initial identity trust score with the activity trust threshold. Based on the comparison, the user is either allowed to engage in the activity, rejected from engaging in the activity, or additional identifying information is collected. |
| US09979742B2 |
Identifying anomalous messages
A method for computer system forensics includes receiving an identification of an anomalous message transmitted by a host computer in a computer network comprising multiple host computers. Messages transmitted by the host computers are monitored so as to detect, for each monitored message, a respective process that initiated the message. Responsively to the identification, a forensic indicator is extracted of the respective process that initiated the anomalous message. |
| US09979741B2 |
Malware beaconing detection methods
A method for detecting malware beaconing in a network, the method includes capturing network traffic over a network connection at a network connected device, representing the network traffic over the network connection as a set of tuples wherein each of the tuples defines an OSI layer 4 communications session and includes at least a source Internet Protocol address, a destination Internet Protocol address, and a destination port, associating timestamps with each of the set of tuples, and analyzing the tuples using the timestamps based on frequency of connections to determine malware beaconing on the network, wherein the analyzing is performed by a computing device. |
| US09979740B2 |
Data surveillance system
Data surveillance techniques are presented for the detection of security issues, especially of the kind where privileged data may be stolen by steganographic, data manipulation or any form of exfiltration attempts. Such attempts may be made by rogue users or admins from the inside of a network, or from outside hackers who are able to intrude into the network and impersonate themselves as legitimate users. The system and methods use a triangulation process whereby analytical results pertaining to data protocol, user-behavior and packet content are combined to establish a baseline for the data. Subsequent incoming data is then scored and compared against the baseline to detect any security anomalies. The techniques are also applicable for detecting performance issues indicative of a system malfunction or deterioration. |
| US09979738B2 |
System and method to detect attacks on mobile wireless networks based on motif analysis
Described is a system for detecting attacks on networks. A hierarchical representation of activity of a communication network is used to detect and predict sources of misinformation in the communication network. The hierarchical representation includes temporal patterns of communication between at least one pair of nodes, each temporal pattern representing a motif, having a size, in the hierarchical representation. Changes in motifs provide a signal for a misinformation attack. |
| US09979737B2 |
Scoring persons and files for trust in digital communication
A method, using trust software executing from a machine-readable medium on a computerized appliance operating as a trust authority, to assign to a person, a file, or an enterprise an indication of trustworthiness, includes steps of (a) assembling information concerning the person, file, or enterprise; (b) applying trust logic to the information assembled for individual ones of the persons, files or enterprises to assign a trust score; and (c) storing the score associated with at least an identity of the person, file or enterprise. |
| US09979734B2 |
Management of transactions in a distributed transaction system
Briefly, embodiments disclosed herein relate to managing transactions in a distributed content transaction system. |
| US09979732B2 |
Contextually aware sharing recommendations
A profile is configured with permissions that may be shared with other profiles. Contextual data defining user activity, preferences, and/or other contextual information is obtained and analyzed to identify a profile that may utilize shared permissions. In some configurations, the contextual data may also utilized to determine if a set of permissions of a first user profile is to be shared with a second user profile. Based on the contextual data, a recommendation may be issued to enable the second user profile to utilize permissions shared by the first user profile. Modifications may be made to the second user profile allowing a computer associated with the second user profile to access data and/or program features that are defined by the shared permissions. |
| US09979730B2 |
System and method for secure provisioning of out-of-network user equipment
The disclosure relates to technology for provisioning out-of-network user equipment with a network relay in a communications network. The network relay device receives an authentication key request message from user equipment including a user equipment identity and an authentication server identity, and communicates the authentication key request message to an authentication server having the authentication server identity. The network relay device communicates a relay authentication key response received from the authentication server to the user equipment such that a secure communication is established between the user equipment and the network. A relay authentication key is generated during establishment of the secure communication between the user equipment and authentication server, and a session with the user equipment is authenticated using a session key generated by the user equipment based on the relay authentication key. The user equipment is the authenticated with the network relay device and provisioned. |
| US09979722B2 |
Method and apparatus for processing a RTCWEB authentication
Systems and methods of processing a real-time communication in web-browsers (RTCWEB) authentication by a first server are disclosed. These include receiving a message from a first user equipment including a first identity of a first user, a first fingerprint of the first user equipment and a first signature generated from a first Identity provider (IdP), sending a call offer message including the first identity, the first fingerprint and the first signature to a second server associated with a second user equipment, receiving from the second server a first challenge message that request an authentication for the first identity, and redirecting the first user equipment to access the second server. |
| US09979720B2 |
Passwordless strong authentication using trusted devices
A code for accessing a resource having a customer account associated therewith is presented via a secondary device, and authentication data indicative of the code that was presented is received from a primary device. The primary device is identified as a trusted device associated with the customer account responsive to receiving the authentication data therefrom, and the secondary device is authenticated for access to the resource responsive to identification of the primary device as the trusted device associated with the customer account. |
| US09979717B2 |
Algorithm hardening in background context and external from the browser to prevent malicious intervention with the browser
A technique for hardening the entry of user credentials in web sites is described. A headless web browser authenticates the user to a target web site with credentials previously stored in a secure database, and generates a session cookie. The headless browser provides the session cookie to the user's web browser, allowing the user to continue the session established by the headless browser. |
| US09979711B2 |
Authentication for VLAN tunnel endpoint (VTEP)
A first network device configured as a first Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) Tunnel Endpoint (VTEP) may receive a packet from a second network device. The first VTEP may determine that the second network device is a second VTEP and has not been established as a peer VTEP to the first VTEP. The first VTEP may maintain a status for the second network device as authentication pending, receive an authentication packet from the second network device and authenticating the second network device as a peer VTEP using the authentication packet. |
| US09979710B2 |
Single SSID and dual-SSID enhancements
A wireless local area network system establishes a PASSPOINT™ connection between a mobile station and a hotspot using an enhanced single SSID method or an enhanced dual SSID method. In the dual SSID method, an access point associates and authenticates a mobile device to a secondary SSID of the access point during enrollment and provisioning. After enrollment, the access point authenticates the mobile station to a primary SSID of the access point using the credential that the mobile station received from an online sign-up (“OSU”) server in connection with the secondary SSID. In the single SSID method, an access point performs two levels of authentication. During authentication, communications are limited to an 802.1x controlled port running on the mobile station and access point. After a first authentication, communications between the OSU server and the mobile station are unblocked. After the second authentication, all traffic from the mobile station is unblocked. |
| US09979708B2 |
Encrypted communication between paired devices
In some examples, a device may include at least one communication interface configured to exchange signals with another device, and a pairable component configured to: assure the another device of mutual proximity by exchange of at least two progressively increasing locator signals and corresponding acknowledgement signals, receive executable validating code from the another device, execute the validating code, output a self-validating result of executing the validating code, verify pairing with the another device, and generate a secret key to ensure a private exchange of data between the mutually proximate, paired, and validated device and another device. |
| US09979703B2 |
Updating software on a secure element
There is disclosed a method of providing a software update to a secure element comprised in a host device, comprising converting the software update into a sequence of ciphertext blocks using a chained encryption scheme, and transmitting said sequence of ciphertext blocks to the host device. Furthermore, there is disclosed a method of installing a software update on a secure element comprised in a host device, comprising receiving, by the host device, a sequence of ciphertext blocks generated by a method of providing a software update of the kind set forth, converting said sequence of ciphertext blocks into the software update, and installing the software update on the secure element. Furthermore, corresponding computer program products and a corresponding host device are disclosed. |
| US09979696B2 |
Security framework for transmitting communication messages between a substation LAN and packet-switched WAN
The invention relates to the field of a security framework for transmitting communication messages between a Substation LAN and packet-switched WAN, in particular, a network interface for transmitting protection data in a power network. The present invention provides a network interface for transmitting communication data including protection data of a power communication network, between a Substation Ethernet LAN and a packet-switched WAN usually in Layer 2. The network interface comprises: a firewall and a Layer 3 router being connected with each other and adapted to transmit the communication data excluding the protection data; and a Layer 2 bypass being in parallel with the firewall and the Layer 3 router, and adapted to transmit the protection data. According to a further aspect, the present invention also provides a method for transmitting such communication data. |
| US09979695B2 |
Method, device, and system for monitoring a security network interface unit
The invention relates to a method for monitoring a security network interface unit (23), for example a firewall, which receives a stream of data packets via a first interface (21), checks said data stream with respect to filtering rules, and outputs said data stream to a second interface (22). The method has the steps of duplicating and outputting the data stream to the second interface (22), checking the output data stream for inadmissible data traffic, transmitting a warning message to the security network interface unit if inadmissible data traffic is detected in the data stream, and restricting the data stream by means of the security network interface unit if the warning message is received in the security network interface unit (23). The device or the system according to the invention comprises units which are designed to carry out the aforementioned method. |
| US09979693B2 |
IP allocation method for use in telecommunication network automatic construction
An internet protocol (IP) allocation method involves assigning network domains and IP address domains thereof to network elements (NEs) at the periphery of the domains, connecting the other new NEs in the domains to the (EMS) element management system server (EMS) through random addresses and information carried by Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) packets, enabling the EMS server to automatically configure, manage, allocate and assign the new NEs so as for the NEs to operate at the IP addresses. If NEs are newly introduced into the telecommunication network, the new NEs can get connected to the EMS server easily and successfully by receiving LLDP packets multicast by the NEs at the periphery of the domains and other NEs which are already connected to the EMS server before. |
| US09979691B2 |
Watermarking and signal recognition for managing and sharing captured content, metadata discovery and related arrangements
Content is identified using watermarking and/or other content recognition combined with contextual metadata, which facilitates identification and correlation with other content and metadata when it is posted to a network. |
| US09979689B2 |
Authoring tool for creating new electronic posts
A database system operates a feed system and communicates with different remote computing devices associated with different users. The database system may display feed items from the feed system on the remote computing devices and enable users to author new posts to the feed system. An authoring tool supports creation of new posts, and provides transparency as to which users will have access to the post. The authoring tool supports managing intended recipients, including users, groups, topics, files, and other entities. The authoring tool creates, and shows to the author, an automatic summary of recipients before the post is added to the feed system. |
| US09979687B2 |
Offline prompts of online social network mentions
A system, method and apparatus for executing scripts to provide offline prompts in a social networking application are provided. A social networking application operating on a mobile device in an offline mode receives an input comprising a sequence of characters from a user of the mobile device. The social networking application executes a script that was received by the mobile device while being operated in an online mode. The script analyzes each character of the user input as each character is received by the mobile device, and generates a prioritized list of social network contact identifiers, wherein the prioritized list is a prediction of social network contact identifiers associated with the content of the user input and data associated with the script. The social networking application further causes the prioritized list of social network contact identifiers to be provided to the user in response to the user input. |
| US09979684B2 |
Apparatus and method for managing sharing of content
Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving an image, delivery instructions, and metadata associated with the image from a first device associated with a first user. The delivery instructions indicate to deliver the image to a second device associated with a second user, and the delivery instructions comprise security features and the metadata comprises a plurality of security preferences for delivery. Further, the plurality of security features and the plurality of security preferences are implemented on the image. In response to determination of a security risk due to the implemented security features or security preferences, the image is not delivered to the second device and a message is delivered to the first device indicating that the image was not delivered. Other embodiments are disclosed. |
| US09979680B2 |
Smart notification scheduling and modality selection
A method of smart notification scheduling and modality selection includes identifying a notification. The method includes extracting context pertaining to the notification or a user of the client device in response to receiving the notification. The method further includes determining a priority for the notification based on the context. The method also includes determining a delivery schedule for the notification based on the priority. The method includes determining a notification delivery plan based on at least one of the context, priority or delivery schedule. The method further includes transmitting the notification to a display device. |
| US09979679B2 |
System and method for enabling applications to communicate using a peer-to-peer (P2P) system
A method and system are provided for enabling applications on a mobile device to utilize a peer-to-peer platform on the mobile device. The method comprises providing an interface between an application and a peer-to-peer (P2P) platform on the mobile device; obtaining data from the application; using the P2P platform to include the data from the application in a P2P message; and sending the P2P message to another mobile device to enable a complementary application on the other mobile device to utilize the data from the application. |
| US09979676B2 |
Methods and apparatus for enabling communication between network elements that operate at different bit rates
A method for enabling communication between a network element (NE) operating at a bit rate R1 and a NE operating at a bit rate R2 is disclosed. A ratio of R2 to R1 is represented by a ratio M:N, where M and N are positive integers and M>N. Information is received that is associated with distribution of electrical lanes of at least one of a number of M×K NEs operating at bit rate R1. A distribution of the electrical lanes of the at least one M×K NE based on the received information is determined. The electrical lanes of the at least one M×K NE are interconnected with lane ports of at least one M:N electrical interface of N×K transceivers based on the determined distribution. An indication is transmitted identifying the distribution to the at least one M×K NE. |
| US09979675B2 |
Anomaly detection and classification using telemetry data
Historical telemetry data can be used to generate predictions for various classes of data at various aggregates of a system that implements an online service. An anomaly detection process can then be utilized to detect anomalies for a class of data at a selected aggregate. An example anomaly detection process includes receiving telemetry data originating from a plurality of client devices, selecting a class of data from the telemetry data, converting the class of data to a set of metrics, aggregating the set of metrics according to a component of interest to obtain values of aggregated metrics over time for the component of interest, determining a prediction error by comparing the values of the aggregated metrics to a prediction, detecting an anomaly based at least in part on the prediction error, and transmitting an alert message of the anomaly to a receiving entity. |
| US09979672B2 |
System and method providing a virtual private cluster
The present invention provides a system, method and computer-readable media for generating virtual private clusters out of a group of compute resources. Typically, the group of compute resources involves a group of clusters independently administered. The method provides for aggregating the group of compute resources, partitioning the aggregated group of compute resources and presenting to each user in an organization a partition representation the organization's virtual private cluster. The users transparently view their cluster and have control over its operation. The partitions may be static or dynamic. |
| US09979670B2 |
Method for providing a connection of a client to an unmanaged service in a client-server remote access system
Systems and methods for providing a connection of a client to an unmanaged service in a client-server remote access system. An unmanaged service may register at a remote access server and open a communication connection there between remote access server may be configured for providing remote access to the unmanaged service by a client. The remote access server receives keep-alive messages from the unmanaged service over the communication connection, which may serve to indicate that the unmanaged service is operational. The remote access server may a request for a client connection to the unmanaged service, after which, a terminate keep-alive message is communicated to the unmanaged service to terminate the sending of keep-alive messages from the unmanaged service in response to the request for the client connection to the unmanaged service. |
| US09979668B2 |
Combined guaranteed throughput and best effort network-on-chip
A first packet-switched reservation request is received. Data associated with the first packet-switched reservation request is communicated through a first circuit-switched channel according to a best effort communication scheme. A second packet-switched reservation request is received. Data associated with the second packet-switched reservation request is communicated through a second circuit-switched channel according to a guaranteed throughput communication scheme. |
| US09979666B2 |
Deterministic distributed network coding
A network and a communication method are described. The network comprises: source nodes, receiver nodes, and coding nodes. The coding nodes are connected with input links for communication of input signals to the coding nodes and output links for communication of output signals from the coding nodes. The output signals are a linear combination of the input signals. The coefficients of the linear combination are deterministically chosen based on local information available locally at the coding node. |
| US09979659B1 |
Decremental autocorrelation calculation for big data using components
The present invention extends to methods, systems, and computing system program products for decrementally calculating autocorrelation for Big Data. Embodiments of the invention include decrementally calculating one or more components of autocorrelation at a specified lag for an adjusted computation window based on the one or more components of an autocorrelation at the specified lag calculated for a previous computation window and then calculating the autocorrelation at the specified lag based on one or more of the decrementally calculated components. Decrementally calculating autocorrelation avoids visiting all data elements in the adjusted computation window and performing redundant computations thereby increasing calculation efficiency, saving computing resources and reducing computing system's power consumption. |
| US09979656B2 |
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for implementing load balancer traffic policies
The subject matter herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for implementing load balancer traffic policies. An exemplary method may be performed at a session load balancer (SLB) and may include receiving, at the SLB, one or more policy attributes associated with each session controller (SC) in a cluster of SCs. The method may further include configuring, at the SLB, a load balancer traffic policy based on the one or more policy attributes received from each SC in the cluster of SCs, where the load balancer traffic policy includes a distribution rate associated with each SC in the cluster of SCs. The method may further include receiving, at the SLB, a registration request for establishing a session with a SC, determining a destination SC using the load balancer traffic policy, and forwarding the registration request to the destination SC. |
| US09979649B2 |
High density content addressable memory
An associative memory that can be integrated with standard computer memory flexibly reduces its parallelism to match the memory bus speed thereby providing substantial increases in memory density possible by a multiplexing of sense amplifiers that otherwise dominate the memory structure. Apparent parallel operation is provided by an accumulator that reassembles the multiplex data. Higher memory density makes dual use of the associative memory as a content addressable memory and random-access memory possible. |
| US09979646B2 |
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide a multicast virtual private network (MVPN)
Methods, apparatus, and articles of manufacture to provide a multicast virtual private network (MVPN) are disclosed. An example method to transmit multicast data over a communication network includes receiving, at a first machine, a multicast data packet from an ingress provider edge router of the communication network, the multicast data packet associated with a multicast route, and transmitting a first replication of the multicast data packet from the first machine to a second machine via a first unicast path. The first replication of the multicast data packet includes a first label provided by the second machine to identify the multicast route in the second machine. Example methods further include receiving the first replication of the multicast data packet at the second machine via the first unicast path, and replicating the multicast data packet from the second machine to an egress provider edge router of the communication network. |
| US09979645B2 |
Hardware and software methodologies for creating and managing portable service function chains
Embodiments of the present disclosure describe a self-contained service function network layer between a chain (e.g., a logical chain or service function chain) and a substrate network. Embodiments of the present disclosure further provide techniques for constructing logical chains for service function networks using chain tables, organizing chain tables using application program interfaces (APIs), deploying service function networks to substrate networks, routing packets through a service function network and a substrate network, and inserting, deleting, re-routing, moving and substituting service functions in logical chains. |
| US09979644B2 |
Linking to content using information centric networking
In one implementation, a method includes receiving, from a link owner, a first interest message for an authorized link object, wherein the authorized link object links to content of a content owner. The method also includes transmitting, to the link owner, a second interest message for a proposed link object based on the first interest message. The method further includes receiving, from the link owner, the proposed link object, wherein the proposed link object comprises a first signature generated by the link owner. The method further includes determining whether the link owner is allowed to link to the content and transmitting, to the link owner, the authorized link object when the link owner is allowed to link to the content, wherein the authorized link object comprises a first name for the content, the first signature, and a second signature generated by a content owner. |
| US09979643B2 |
Communication apparatus, communication method, and computer-readable recording medium
A communication apparatus includes a first storage unit, a second storage, and a first registrator. The first storage stores at least a destination address representing an IPv6 address that is a destination of a packet and a next hop address representing an IPv6 address of a next hop representing the next destination to which the packet is transferred in association with each other. The second storage stores an IPv6 address of a default router to which the packet is transferred when it is not possible to determine the next hop address by using the first storage. When a second RA packet representing an RA packet other than first RA packets representing a RA packet for 6LowPAN is received, the first registrator registers an IPv6 address from which the second RA packet has been transmitted as an IPv6 address of the default router. |
| US09979642B2 |
User packet processing method and forwarding plane device
A user packet processing method is disclosed in which a forwarding plane device receives a flow entry installation message from a control plane device, writes the flow entries into the flow tables corresponding to the flow table identifiers, and performs a matching and processing procedure on the received user packet after the flow entries are written into the flow tables corresponding to the flow table identifiers; wherein the quantity of the flow entry installation messages is one, and the flow entry installation message carries all flow entries that may be needed to process a user packet, and a flow table identifier of a flow table in which each flow entry of all the flow entries is located. By using the foregoing manner, a case is effectively avoid that a forwarding plane device wrongly processes a user packet because of a network delay. |
| US09979641B2 |
Method and system for service switching using service tags
The disclosure herein describes a system, which provides service switching in a datacenter environment. The system can include a service switching gateway, which can identify a service tag associated with a received packet. During operation, the service switching gateway determines a source client, a requested service, or both for the packet based on the service tag, identifies a corresponding service portal based on the service tag, and forwards the packet toward the service portal. The service switching gateway can optionally maintain a mapping between the service tag and one or more of: a source client, a required service, the service portal, and a tunnel encapsulation. The service switching gateway can encapsulate the packet based on an encapsulation mechanism supported by the service portal and forward the packet based on the mapping. |
| US09979637B2 |
Network flow management system
A network flow management system includes controllers that are each coupled to a subset of switch devices, and a flow management server system that is coupled to each of the controllers. The flow management server system collects first-level flow information for the switch devices from the controllers, and filters and structures the first-level flow information to generate second-level flow information. The flow management server system then analyzes the second-level flow information based on current flow operation policies that are configured to cause the switch devices to perform first flow operations and, in response, determines flow operation policy changes. The flow management server system then distributes updated flow operation policies that includes the flow operation policy changes to each of the controllers, where the updated flow operation policies cause the switch devices to perform second flow operation that are different than the first flow operations. |
| US09979635B2 |
Method for controlling flood broadcasts in a wireless mesh network
Computer networks with multiple nodes are often required to deliver packets to all nodes in the network, commonly referred to as “flooding.” Flooding is used to deliver multicast and broadcast packets generated by application, network and other layers of the networking stack. Flooding can be done very reliably but less efficiently via node to node “unicast” transmissions, or very efficiently but less reliably via “broadcast” transmissions. In order to balance reliability with efficiency, this invention defines a threshold for the number of neighboring nodes as seen by a given node prior to a flooding operation to determine whether data should be unicast or broadcast. Below that threshold, unicast is used; at or above that threshold, broadcast is used. The invention also incorporates knowledge of nodes seen in turn by neighbor nodes as part of this decision. |
| US09979633B2 |
Method of control by anticipation of the data streams by an SDN network in case of failure of a router
A method is provided to control an IP core network, including first and second routers connected to an external data packet network and switches able to connect to a base station of a network for access to the first and second routers. The data packet network is able to send data streams through the IP core network destined for the terminals attached to the base station, at least one data stream currently being conveyed between the external network and at least one terminal. The method includes: establishing a rule for processing a stream by the first router, assigning the second router as backup router for the first router; transmitting to the external data packet network information relating to the assigning of the backup router; detecting an event relating to a failure of the first router; and transmitting to the backup router an established processing rule to be applied. |
| US09979632B2 |
Avoiding data traffic loss in a ring multihomed, in an active-standby manner, to a transport network
Data traffic loss in a an Ethernet Ring that is multihomed, in an active-standby manner, to a VPLS transport network (such as a Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) multihomed Ethernet Ring, an MC-LAG multihomed Ethernet Ring, or some other type of active-standby multihomed Ethernet Ring, etc.) (ring) is avoided. The exemplary multihomed ring running Ethernet Ring Protection (ERP) protocol includes a Ring Protection Link (RPL), a first node and a second node linked with a designated border router and a standby border router of the network, respectively. The data traffic loss in the multihomed ring is avoided by (i) receiving an indication that the link between the first node and the designated border router has failed; and (ii) invoking, responsive to the received indication, an ERP Media Access Control (MAC)-flush in the ring, even in the absence of a failed link in the ring and without activating the specified RPL. The ERP MAC-flush causes subsequent data packets from each of the plurality of nodes in the ring to be forwarded to the standby border router via the second node. |
| US09979629B2 |
Distribution of segment identifiers in network functions virtualization and software defined network environments
A method and system are disclosed for distributing (advertising) segment identifiers in network functions virtualization and/or software defined networking environments. An exemplary method includes receiving a route advertisement that includes a prefix with a forwarding address for a first network element and receiving a segment identifier (SID) advertisement that includes a prefix SID for the prefix. The route advertisement may be received from a second network element proxying control plane functions for the first network element. Reachability information for the first network element is updated based on the route advertisement and the SID advertisement. |
| US09979626B2 |
Establishing a mesh network with wired and wireless links
Embodiments of the present invention solve problems experienced by mesh networks concerning loop formation where two nodes are connected by both a wired and wireless link. The present invention prevents or ‘breaks’ a loop that that would otherwise result in continually repeating and delayed network data transmission. |
| US09979622B2 |
Elastic WAN optimization cloud services
In one embodiment, a cloud network provides cloud services to the one or more clients, where data usage of each client is monitored on a per client basis. If the data usage of any client is above a first predetermined threshold, then a WAN optimization platform is automatically implemented within the cloud network for the client having the data usage determined to be above the first predetermined threshold. |
| US09979616B2 |
Event-driven framework for filtering and processing network flows
Time-based groupings of network traffic flow data for virtualized computing resources are stored. Notifications that the time-based groupings are stored are sent, and in response to the notifications, the groupings are processed in accordance with the notifications. Network traffic flow data that is associated with users who have requested publication is published for associated virtualized computing resources. |
| US09979613B2 |
Analyzing network traffic in a computer network
Provided is a method of analyzing network traffic in a computer network. An Internet Protocol (IP) flow record of an IP flow in a computer network is selected. The selected IP flow record and additional IP flow records corresponding to the IP flow of the selected IP flow record are analyzed to obtain information related to the network traffic in the computer network. |
| US09979612B2 |
Server device, terminal device, maintenance service information transmission method and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium
Provided is a server device capable of increasing the availability of a device by urging a user who uses the device to perform actions related to maintenance service. In this server device, an information transceiver receives operation information about a device. A remaining life determination unit determines the remaining life of the device or a component of the device based on the operation information. When the determined remaining life reaches a predetermined remaining life or becomes shorter than the predetermined remaining life, a transmission destination setting unit sets a device that is possessed by a person having a predetermined relationship with the user of the device as a transmission destination for the transmission of maintenance service information based on relationship information indicating the relationship between the user of the device and another person who is not the user. The information transceiver transmits the maintenance service information to the transmission destination. |
| US09979611B2 |
Client-server system for network services and applications for mobile telecommunications terminals
A digital telecommunications client-server system where a network server communicates by a protocol with a digital application located on a mobile terminal. The digital application includes a navigation module, a presentation module, a decoder interpreter module and a transport module. The digital application interprets data received from a network server located in a mobile core telecommunications network and displays interpreted data on a screen of the mobile terminal, with the interpreted data relating to a service or application. The digital application interprets a request of a user entered into the mobile terminal in response to the interpreted data displayed on the screen of the mobile terminal, and sends from the mobile terminal data interpreted from the user's request to the telecommunications network. |
| US09979609B2 |
Cloud process management
In some examples, a method for managing service requests to a cloud computing system is described. The method may include receiving a service response from a cloud computing system in reply to a service request generated by a process executed on a computing device. The method may also include extracting processing capacity information of the cloud computing system from the service response. The method may also include determining an execution priority for the process based at least in part on the processing capacity information. |
| US09979605B2 |
Virtualization mapping
Systems and methods for the management of virtual machine instances are provided. The hosted virtual machine networks are configured in a manner such that communications within the hosted virtual machine network are facilitated through a communication protocol. Illustrative embodiments of the systems and methods may be implemented on a virtual network overlaid on one or more intermediate physical networks that are used as a substrate network. Through the utilization of one or more virtual network mapping components in communication with the hosted virtual network components, communications to and from the hosted virtual networks can be processed by mapping relationships between the virtual network communication protocol and the router communication protocol. The mapping information can be provided in advance or as requested to the router components and hosted virtual network components to facilitate bi-lateral communications between the components. |
| US09979603B2 |
System architecture for cloud-platform infrastructure layouts
A system maintains, generates, and manages infrastructure layouts. The infrastructure layouts interconnect infrastructure components and capture relational aspects between the components within the interconnections. The infrastructure layouts map northbound services, which are service outputs, to southbound services, which are service capabilities, for fulfillment. The system may traverse a mapping from a northbound service to a fulfilling southbound service to generate a workflow to support deployment of the northbound service. In various implementations, the system may compare a path, which maps a northbound service to a southbound service, to a policy model to determine compliance with the policy. |
| US09979600B2 |
System and method for automatic load adaptive antenna carrier bandwidth dynamic reconfiguration in radio base station system
A method performed by a radio base station, the method including determining that one of a Direct Memory Access (DMA) buffers of a communication link for a service provider has gone beyond a DMA buffer limit (empty or full), the communication link between a radio equipment control (REC) device and a radio equipment (RE) device that is operating based on a first bandwidth configuration of the communication link. The method further including in response to determining that the communication link is to change operation (due to reaching the DMA buffer limit) based on a second bandwidth configuration of the communication link, instead of the first bandwidth configuration, continuing operation of the communication link based on the second bandwidth configuration. The method further including that after going back under the DMA buffer limit, the communication link continuing operation based on the original first bandwidth configuration. |
| US09979598B2 |
Reduction of management complexity of an information technology system
A description of IT assets of the IT system is retrieved. The description of the IT assets includes an indication of characteristics of each IT asset and an indication of relations among the IT assets. The IT assets are grouped into asset groups by verifying the characteristics and the relations of the IT assets against affinity criteria in decreasing order of an affinity level of corresponding affinity criteria. A description of target platforms eligible to host the IT assets is retrieved. At least part of the IT assets of the asset groups is mapped onto selected one or more of the target platforms by verifying the characteristics and/or the relations of the IT assets of the asset groups. A proposed configuration of the IT system is generated. The proposed configuration hosts each mapped IT asset on the corresponding selected target platform. |
| US09979597B2 |
Methods and apparatus for assisted radio access technology self-organizing network configuration
The present methods and apparatus relate to managing interference associated with a configuration of a self-organizing network (SON) during wireless communication, comprising receiving, at a first radio access technology (RAT) entity, measurement information from a user equipment (UE) for assisting with interference management at a second RAT entity, wherein the first RAT entity is collocated with the second RAT entity; and configuring the second RAT entity based at least in part on the measurement information received by the first RAT entity. In a further aspect, the present methods and apparatus comprise embedding, by a first RAT entity, RAT entity-specific information of a second RAT entity in a management indication, wherein the first RAT entity and the second RAT entity are collocated; and transmitting the management indication to one or both of a UE and another first RAT entity. |
| US09979592B2 |
Event notifications for applications
A server includes a network communication device, memory hardware, and data processing hardware. The data processing hardware receives sensor data and application data from a client computing device. The sensor data includes sensor measurement values from sensors. The application data indicates application states applications. The data processing hardware receives a request to provide event notifications to a first application from the plurality of applications upon an occurrence of an event. The request includes an event description. The data processing hardware identifies an event trigger that indicates the occurrence of the event. The event trigger includes an application state of a second application and a sensor measurement value for at least one of the sensors. The data processing hardware detects the occurrence of the event by comparing the event trigger with the sensor data and the application data, and transmits an event notification to the first application upon detecting the event. |
| US09979589B2 |
Coordinated processing of data by networked computing resources
Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for coordinating processing of data by multiple networked computing resources include monitoring data associated with a plurality of networked computing resources, and coordinating the routing of data processing segments to the networked computing resources. |
| US09979587B2 |
Method and system for semi-synchronously exporting data
Systems and methods are provided for semi-synchronously exporting data. A web server creates an export record in response to receiving a data request from a client computer. The web server sends a token to the client computer, wherein receipt of the token enables the client computer to be used for other purposes while waiting for receipt of requested data. At least one of multiple batch processing servers processes the data request in response to accessing the export record. At least one of the multiple batch processing servers updates the export record to reflect the processing of the data request. The web server exports the processed data request to the client computer in response to identifying an update of the export record. |
| US09979584B2 |
Transmission and reception methods implemented in communication devices and associated communication devices
The present disclosure provides a transmission method comprising splitting a block of bits to be transmitted into a number of groups each consisting of k+2q bits, wherein k and q are natural numbers and each of the groups includes a subgroup consisting of k bits and two subgroups each consisting of q bits and performing 2q-ary QAM modulation on the subgroups of q bits from the groups of k+2q bits to obtain QAM symbols, respectively. The QAM symbols are processed so that two QAM symbols obtained from the two subgroups of q bits in each of the groups of k+2q bits are mapped onto at least two antennas as consecutive processed symbols. Through the use of 2k-ary FSK modulation, a frequency tone to which the two consecutive processed symbols are allocated is selected according to the subgroup of k bits from each of the groups of k+2q bits before transmission. |
| US09979580B2 |
Coding scheme for a wireless communication system
Coding techniques for a (e.g., OFDM) communication system capable of transmitting data on a number of “transmission channels” at different information bit rates based on the channels' achieved SNR. A base code is used in combination with common or variable puncturing to achieve different coding rates required by the transmission channels. The data (i.e., information bits) for a data transmission is encoded with the base code, and the coded bits for each channel (or group of channels with the similar transmission capabilities) are punctured to achieve the required coding rate. The coded bits may be interleaved (e.g., to combat fading and remove correlation between coded bits in each modulation symbol) prior to puncturing. The unpunctured coded bits are grouped into non-binary symbols and mapped to modulation symbols (e.g., using Gray mapping). The modulation symbol may be “pre-conditioned” and prior to transmission. |
| US09979574B2 |
Method and apparatus for digitization of broadband analog signals
Methods and systems for digitization of broadband analog signals may comprise in a radio frequency (RF) transceiver comprising a diplexer, first and second automatic gain and slope control (ASCS) modules, a combiner, and an analog to digital converter (ADC): receiving an input RF signal comprising at least two signals, splitting the input RF signal in the frequency domain into first and second signals of different frequency utilizing the diplexer, configuring a frequency-dependent gain level for each of the first and second signals utilizing the first and second ASCS modules, combining output signals from the first and second ASCS modules utilizing the combiner, and converting the combined output signals to a digital signal utilizing the ADC. The frequency dependent gain levels of the first and second signals may be configured to enable the ADC to operate with an effective number of bits (ENOB) of approximately 10. |
| US09979567B2 |
Equalization enhancing module, demodulation system and equalization enhancing method
An equalization enhancing module includes: a multiplication unit, multiplying a plurality of equalized signals by a scaling coefficient to obtain a plurality of scaled signals; a determination unit, coupled to the multiplication unit, determining whether the plurality of scaled signals are located in a predetermined region to generate a plurality of determination results; a ratio calculating unit, coupled to the determination unit, calculating an inner ratio associated with a ratio of the plurality of scaled signals located in the predetermined region; and a coefficient calculating unit, coupled to the ratio calculating unit, calculating the scaling coefficient according to the inner ratio. |
| US09979565B2 |
Channel description feedback in a communication system
A first communication device receives a plurality of training signal fields in a preamble of a data unit transmitted by a second communication device, the plurality of training signal fields in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols comprising data and pilot tones. The first communication device determines first channel estimate data corresponding to the data tones in the OFDM symbols, and uses pilot tones in the plurality of training signal fields to track at least one of i) a phase offset and ii) a frequency offset while receiving the plurality of training signal fields to improve the first channel estimate data. The first communication device generates feedback data that i) includes data corresponding to the first channel estimate data, and ii) excludes data corresponding to second channel estimate data for the pilot tones in the plurality of training signal fields, and transmits the feedback data to the second communication device. |
| US09979561B2 |
Systems and methods for stacking fibre channel switches with fibre channel over ethernet stacking links
An information handling system is provided. The information handling system includes systems and methods for expanding the port count in a single Fiber Channel domain by adding modular Fiber Channel switches. Such a system includes a system enclosure that contains a plurality of Fiber Channel modules configured to send and receive Fiber Channel packets, the Fiber Channel modules providing a plurality of Fiber Channel ports and a switch processor coupled to the plurality of Fiber Channel ports and to a plurality of Ethernet ports. The switch processor is configured to apply a stacking header to Fiber Channel packets for transmission from one of the plurality of Ethernet ports over a stacking link to another switch processor in another system enclosure. |
| US09979558B2 |
Methods and systems for network configuration
Network and device configuration systems and methods are described. In an embodiment, a first user interface configured to receive from a user configuration information regarding a first network provided. Program code stored in computer accessible memory is configured to generate a barcode that includes information related to the first network configuration information, wherein the barcode can be scanned by a device having a barcode scanner and a network interface to configure the network interface to access the first network. |
| US09979557B2 |
Carrier grade Ethernet layer 2 over layer 3 satellite backbones (L2oL3SB)
An apparatus is disclosed for delivering layer-2 services over a layer-3 network. The apparatus includes a layer-2 module for transmitting and receiving layer-2 packets over a first communication network, and a layer-3 module for converting the layer-2 packet into a format that can be transmitted over a conventional layer-3 network. The converted layer-2 packet is transmitted with sufficient information to allow reconstruction of the original layer-2 packet at the destination device. The apparatus can also be configured to simultaneously transmit and receive layer-2 packets and layer-3 packets over the layer3 network. |
| US09979553B2 |
Secure certificate distribution
Disclosed are various examples of securely distributing certificates to client devices. A uniform resource locator (URL) is sent to a client device, wherein the URL represents an address from which the client device can request a user certificate. A certificate for a registration authority is sent to the client device, wherein the certificate comprises a first public key and a first private key. A certificate signing request (CSR) received from the client device at the URL is decrypted, wherein the CSR is encrypted with the first public key. The CSR is validated based at least in part on the URL sent to the client device. The user certificate is then sent to the client device. |
| US09979552B2 |
Systems, methods and apparatuses for the application-specific identification of devices
The systems, methods and apparatuses described herein provide a computing environment that manages application specific identification of devices. An apparatus according to the present disclosure may comprise a non-volatile storage storing identifier (ID) base data and a processor. The processor may be configured to validate a certificate of an application being executed on the apparatus. The certificate may contain a code signer ID for a code signer of the application. The processor may further be configured to receive a request for a unique ID of the application, generate the unique ID from the code signer ID and the ID base data and return the generated unique ID. |
| US09979548B2 |
Energy harvesting cryptosystem
A system and method of low-power cryptography is disclosed involving a computing device with an audio jack that communicates with a token plugged into the audio jack. Data is passed between the computing device and token over audio channels; power for all functions necessary for the token to operate as disclosed is also supplied by the computing device to the token over an audio channel. The token may be used as an identity and authentication security factor, for secure external key exchange, or direct encryption of small payloads. |
| US09979543B2 |
Optimized hardware architecture and method for ECC point doubling using jacobian coordinates over short weierstrass curves
An optimized hardware architecture and method introducing a simple arithmetic processor that allows efficient implementation of an Elliptical Curve Cryptography point doubling algorithm for Jacobian coordinates. The optimized architecture additionally reduces the required storage for intermediate values to one intermediate value. |
| US09979540B2 |
System and method for updating read-only memory in smart card memory modules
A storage device contains a smart-card device and a memory device, both connected to a controller. The storage device may be used in the same manner as a conventional smart-card device, or it may be used to store a relatively large amount of data in various partitions. One of these partitions may be a read-only partition that is normally accessible only for read accesses. However, it may sometimes be necessary to update or supplement the data stored in the read-only partition. This is accomplished by a host issuing an appropriate command to the storage device, which may be accompanied by an identifier for an appropriate level of authorization. The controller then changes the attribute of the read-only partition from “read-only” to “read/write” to allow data to be written to the partition. Upon completion, the controller changes the attribute of the partition back to read-only. |
| US09979537B2 |
Format-preserving cipher
A format-preserving cipher including an encryption and a decryption scheme supporting non-linear access to input data by allowing the selection of portions of data from a potentially larger dataset to be encrypted, thus avoiding a necessarily sequential access into the input plaintext data. The cipher first defines a forward mapping from the allowable ciphertext values to an integer set of the number of such allowable ciphertext values, and a corresponding reverse mapping. It also supports exclusion of a certain set of characters from the ciphering process. An encryption algorithm is provided that encrypts the input plaintext data while preserving its original format and length, and a corresponding decryption algorithm is provided. The cipher advantageously embodies the encryption and decryption of multi-byte values, composite datasets, and credit card numbers, thus fitting a variety of industrial needs. |
| US09979536B2 |
Cryptographic system, encryption device, re-encryption key generation device, re-encryption device, and cryptographic program
An encryption device 200 outputs a ciphertext ct including a ciphertext c and a ciphertext c˜. The ciphertext c has been set with one of attribute information x and attribute information v related to each other. The ciphertext c˜ has been set with one of attribute information y and attribute information z related to each other. A decryption device 300 outputs a re-encryption key rk including a decryption key k*rk, a decryption key k˜*rk, and encrypted conversion information ϕrk. The decryption key k*rk is obtained by converting the decryption key k* which is set with the other one of attribute information x and attribute information v, with conversion information W1,t. The decryption key k˜*rk has been set with the other one of the attribute information y and the attribute information z. The encrypted conversion information ϕrk is obtained by encrypting the conversion information W1,t by setting one of attribute information x′ and attribute information v′ related to each other. A re-encryption device 400 outputs a re-ciphertext ret including a ciphertext crenc and a decryption key k*renc. The ciphertext crenc is obtained by setting one of additional information H and additional information Θ to the ciphertext ct. The decryption key k*renc is obtained by setting the other one of the additional information H and the additional information Θ to the re-encryption key rk. |
| US09979529B2 |
Controlling UE behavior for CSI/SRS reporting during DRX
The invention relates to a method for transmitting a periodic channel quality report (CSI) and/or a sounding reference symbol (SRS) from a UE to an eNodeB. To avoid double decoding at the eNodeB in transient phases, a deterministic behavior of the UE is defined by the invention, according to which the eNodeB can unambiguously determine whether the UE will transmit the CSI/SRS or not. According to one embodiment, the UL grants and/or DL assignments received until and including subframe N−4 only are considered; UL grants and/or DL assignments received by the UE after subframe N−4 are discarded for the determination. Additionally, DRX-related timers at subframe N−4 are considered for the determination. In a second embodiment, DRX MAC control elements from the eNodeB, instructing the UE to enter DRX, i.e., become Non-Active, are only considered for the determination if they are received before subframe N−4, i.e., until and including subframe N−(4+k). |
| US09979528B2 |
Data communication method in overlapping basic service set (OBSS) environment
Provided is a data communication method performed at a transmission node, the method including collecting a node list including nodes communicable with the transmission node, exchanging the node list with each of the communicable nodes, determining an allowance of a space recycling transmission to a reception node by determining that the transmission node is a corresponding node as an exposed node in response to an occurrence of a clear-to-send (CTS) timeout, and transmitting data to the reception node based on a result of determining the allowance of the space recycling transmission. |
| US09979523B2 |
Mobile station and reception method
Provided is a radio communication device which can separate propagation paths of antenna ports and improve a channel estimation accuracy even when using virtual antennas. The device includes: a mapping unit which maps a data signal after modulation to a virtual antenna and a virtual antenna; a phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of S0 transmitted from an antenna port in synchronization with a phase inversion unit between the odd-number slot and the even-number slot; the phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of R0 transmitted from the antenna port; a phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of S1 transmitted from an antenna port in synchronization with a phase inversion unit; and the phase inversion unit which inverts the phase of R1 transmitted from an antenna port. |
| US09979522B2 |
Multiplexing DRS within a transmission burst for opportunistic spectrum access
Methods and apparatus are provided for multiplexing DRS within a transmission burst for opportunistic spectrum access. In one novel aspect, DRS is not transmitted in a fractional subframe within a TXOP. In one embodiment, if the starting fractional subframe, which contains initial signal, occurs in a configured DMTC, DRS is transmitted in the first subframe next to the starting fractional subframe. In another embodiment, if DMTC starts from a complete subframe within a TXOP, DRS is transmitted in the first candidate position within a DMTC. In another novel aspect, in the DRS subframe, PDSCH is allocated in the PRBs outside the central PRBs (six or twenty-five PRBs). In one embodiment, the reservation signal can be used to satisfy the requirement of occupied bandwidth and continuity transmission. In another embodiment, the free REs in central PRBs carry the system information when required on the unlicensed band. |
| US09979520B2 |
Method and apparatus for receiving or transmitting downlink control signal in wireless communication system
A method of transmitting a downlink signal to a terminal by a base station is provided. The base station transmits a semi-persistent scheduling (SPS) downlink data and/or control information related to the SPS downlink data. The base station performs rate matching of the SPS downlink data for particular control information in a particular subframe when the particular control information schedules the SPS downlink data in the particular subframe, and rate matching of the SPS downlink data for a resource block pair including a resource block pair for subsequent particular control information in a particular subframe when the particular control information does not schedule the SPS downlink data in the particular subframe. The rate matching of the SPS downlink data is performed with respect to a resource block pair in which the particular control information is detected, or a resource block pair including one or more search spaces. |
| US09979518B2 |
Dual connectivity
A method of configuring a network node in a wireless telecommunications network to use a secondary cell for dual connectivity communication, a computer program product and network control node operable to perform that method. The method comprises: determining at least one RACH preamble reserved by the secondary cell for use by dual connectivity capable user equipment; identifying user equipment meeting criteria for implementation of dual connectivity communication with the secondary cell; and communicating an allocation of the at least one RACH preamble reserved by the secondary cell for use by dual connectivity capable user equipment to the identified user equipment. Aspects may avoid or mitigate contention experienced by user equipment on RACH and thus may enable fast, contention-free access to a cell. According to some aspects and embodiments, a dedicated preamble can be configured for user equipment identified as a candidate suited to implementation of dual connectivity techniques. Use of a dedicated preamble may, according to some embodiments, both avoid possible contention and also be used, in some embodiments, as a means to identify user equipment by a newly accessed cell, for example, in the case of RRC connected user equipment. |
| US09979516B2 |
Transmission device that performs multi-user MIMO transmission for performing spatial multiplexing and transmitting of a plurality of packets addressed to a plurality of reception devices
It is intended to provide a transmission device, a reception device and a communication system capable of improving transmission characteristics by performing packet combining by HARQ in MU-MIMO transmission using non-linear precoding.In a case of receiving NAK from any of terminal devices (400), a base station device (100) retransmits a packet, in which an error occurs, addressed to this terminal device. The base station device (100) transmits the data to be retransmitted together with other transmission data addressed to a different terminal device or addressed to the own terminal device by spatial multiplexing transmission with MU-MIMO. At this time, for the retransmission data, precoding is performed such that a perturbation term same as a perturbation term which has been added to this data by non-linear precoding at the time of initial transmission is added. |
| US09979510B2 |
Application timeout aware TCP loss recovery
The SACK scoreboard is used in slow recovery and the SACK scoreboard and an application programmed timeout are used to determine the initial CWND in slow recovery. The CWND is calculated so that all packets will be recovered before the application times out. A new socket option is provided for an application to program an application timeout (say APP_TO). This value is used in conjunction with the RTT (round trip time) to determine the initial CWND value to insure completion before timeout. Along with the timeout, the application can also set the mode as “soft,” where the CWND value is set to “1” as conventional but when that packet is ACKed, the CWND value is increased immediately to a modified calculated value to allow timely recovery. |
| US09979507B1 |
Methods and network device for generating communication frames in 1000BASE-T1 ethernet
A training frame is generated, and the training frame includes a plurality of partial frames that include training information. The training frame has a defined duration. The training frame is generated by inverting a first bit in each of at least some partial frames, and including an info field frame in the training frame. The training frame is transmitted for training purposes. |
| US09979503B2 |
Signal transmission with interference mitigation
In radio transmission between a mobile communication network and a user equipment, signals are received in a subframe comprising a first group of one or more resource elements and a second group of one or more resource elements. The first group is subject to a first level of interference from at least one further radio channel while the second group is subject to a second level of interference from the at least one further radio channel. A first measurement and a second measurement are performed. Based on the first and second measurements the interference from the at least one further radio channel is estimated and interference mitigation is performed. |
| US09979502B2 |
Apparatus and method for sample clock correction
A radio transceiver apparatus configured to transmit and receive radio frequency signals, the apparatus comprising, a sample clock configured to generate samples at a clock frequency fs, a processor configured to generate a transmission data stream signal, wherein the transmission data stream signal comprises frames separated by frame boundaries between the frames, and wherein the frames are comprised of at least one sample, and a sample clock correction unit, wherein in a first transmission configuration when the clock frequency fs is greater than a desired clock frequency fr, the sample clock correction unit is configured to insert at least one sample into at least one frame boundary between frames, or in a second transmission configuration when the clock frequency fs is less than a desired clock frequency fr, the sample clock correction unit is configured to remove at least one sample from at least one frame boundary between the frames. |
| US09979501B2 |
Frequency independent isolation of duplexed ports in distributed antenna systems (DASs), and related devices and methods
Frequency independent isolation of duplexed ports in distributed antenna systems (DASs) is disclosed. Instead of providing a duplexer in a DAS that provides frequency dependent separation between downlink and uplink communications signals, an isolation circuit is provided. The isolation circuit is coupled to a duplexed port that provides downlink communications signals to the DAS and receives uplink communications signals from the DAS. To isolate uplink communications signals from the downlink communications path, the isolation circuit includes a directional coupler. The directional coupler provides frequency independent isolation between uplink communications signals and a downlink communications path in the DAS. Further, to isolate downlink communications signals from the uplink communications path, the isolation circuit includes at least one circulator isolator. The circulator(s) acts as a one-direction device, allowing uplink communications signals to flow to the directional coupler with minimal attenuation while significantly attenuating downlink communications signals flowing from the directional coupler. |
| US09979500B2 |
Dynamic user interface rendering based on usage analytics data in a media content distribution system
An exemplary method includes a media content access device, which is configured to access a media content service distributed over a media content distribution network, 1) detecting a request for a presentation of a user interface configured to facilitate usage of the media content service by a user of the media content access device, 2) determining, in response to the request, whether usage analytics data representative of a historical pattern of usage of the media content service is available, 3) rendering, if the usage analytics data is determined to be unavailable, a static default version of the user interface in accordance with data representative of a static default configuration of the user interface, and 4) rendering, if the usage analytics data is determined to be available, a dynamic version of the user interface based on the user analytics data. Corresponding methods, systems, and apparatuses are also disclosed. |
| US09979499B2 |
Assistive mixing system and method of assembling a synchronised spatial sound stage
Intensifying contextually relevant sound events for time-delayed broadcast uses multiple directional microphones that capture sound events from a specific location within regions of a stadium. The events are contextually relevant to the environment, such as a referee's whistle sound. A processor executes signal processing of the captured events on each channel to produce audio samples each having a signal profile. The profiles are automatically compared to reference feature templates stored in a database, correspond to pre-identified sound events of contextual relevance. The signal processing accentuates characteristic traits in the events, reflective of contextually relevant events that should be included in a final composite audio output for transmission. If the comparison of samples to the feature templates suggests a high probability of a correspondence, then buffered audio for that channel is introduced into a final audio mix. |
| US09979498B2 |
Broadcast-signal transmitter/receiver and method for transmitting/receiving broadcast signals
The broadcast-signal transmitter according to one embodiment of the present invention includes: an encoder for encoding physical layer pipe (PLP) data, including a base layer and an enhancement layer of a broadcasting service, and signaling information through a SISO, and/or MIMO technique; a frame builder for generating a transmission frame, which includes a preamble having the encoded signaling information and the PLP data and an OFDM generator for modulating and transmitting a broadcast signal including the transmission frame. |
| US09979497B2 |
Audio playing method and apparatus based on Bluetooth connection
The present disclosure relates to an audio playing method and apparatus based on Bluetooth connection. The method includes: receiving a first Bluetooth connection request sent from a first audio source device by a first playing device; responding to the first Bluetooth connection request, establishing a first Bluetooth connection with the first audio source device and notifying other playing devices of a target playing group including the first playing device to close Bluetooth function by the first playing device, wherein the target playing group includes at least one playing device communicating via a private network established in advance; and receiving first audio data from the first audio source device based on the first Bluetooth connection and forwarding the first audio data to the other playing devices of the target playing group via the private network by the first playing device. |
| US09979496B2 |
System and method for calibration and monitoring of an anechoic boundary array RF environment simulator
Some embodiments include a system for simulating electromagnetic environments that includes a channel emulator having a plurality of outputs, each output associated with a different operational path. Each operational path has a power amplifier, an antenna and a first coupling mechanism. The power amplifier is coupled to an output of the channel emulator. The antenna is in communication with a test region of the apparatus. The first coupling mechanism simultaneously couples power to the antenna and to a first measurement path when the operational path is coupled to the test region, so that a calibration state of the operational path can be determined and adjusted without interruption of a signal coupled to the antenna in the operational path. |
| US09979494B2 |
Electromagnetic compatibility test system with fixed and mobile ground planes
A system for testing electromagnetic compatibility of electrical devices includes a plurality of mobile-ground-planes and a fixed-ground-plane. Each of the plurality of mobile-ground-planes is individually customizable to provide a test-fixture for testing a selected instance of an electrical device. The fixed-ground-plane is configured to receive an instance of the plurality of mobile-ground-planes to overlay the fixed-ground plane and form a direct electrical contact between a bottom-side of the instance of the plurality of mobile-ground-planes and a top-side of the fixed-ground-plane. Optionally, the system includes an air-nozzle used to generate an air-gap between the instance of the plurality of mobile-ground-planes and the fixed-ground-plane while the instance of the plurality of mobile-ground-planes is being placed onto the fixed-ground-plane when gas passes through the air-nozzle. |
| US09979492B2 |
Method of sharing and receiving information based on sound signal and apparatus using the same
A method of sharing information by an information-providing device, the method including: determining, by the information-providing device, information of interest based on a first input to the information-providing device; generating, by the information-providing device, a sound signal including object information; and outputting, by the information-providing device, the sound signal, wherein the object information includes object identification information configured to be used to identify the information of interest. |
| US09979491B2 |
Subsea power-over-fiber can bus converter
Messages on controller area network (CAN) buses are communicated over subsea links to subsea devices that also require electrical power to function. These subsea devices may be disposed kilometers away from the signal source where electrical signal and power transmission is impractical. The present invention provides a subsea power-over-fiber CAN bus converter for converting CAN bus electrical input and electrical power input into optical signals for transmission over a fiber optic cable for conversion into CAN bus electrical output and electrical power output for use by a subsea sensor or other subsea device. The subsea power-over-fiber CAN bus converter of the present invention is may comprise a flying lead harness that has a first connector end, a second connector end, a first optical converter module, a second optical converter module, and a fiber optic cable disposed between the first and second optical converter modules. |
| US09979490B2 |
Exploiting frequency diversity on a sub-band basis for optical transmission performance enhancement
An optical data transmission method comprising partitioning an optical signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands, generating a signal frequency mapping that rearranges the plurality of frequency sub-bands, choosing a plurality of frequency components based on the signal frequency mapping to form a set of frequency components, and transmitting the set of frequency components using frequency diversity transmission. An optical data receiving method comprising obtaining a signal frequency mapping for an original signal, receiving an optical signal that comprises a plurality of frequency sub-bands, re-arranging the plurality of frequency sub-bands using the signal frequency mapping to generate a restored original signal, and processing the restored original signal to recover an original data sequence. |
| US09979487B2 |
Method for processing optical signal, optical signal sending node and optical node
Provided are a method for processing an OS. The method includes: an OS sending node inserts OCh information into an overhead of an OMS of an OS; and/or, the OS sending node inserts the OCh information and optical carrier information into an OCh overhead of the OS, wherein the OCh information includes an identifier of the OCh, an NCF of an effective frequency slot of a media channel and a slot width of the effective frequency slot of the media channel, and a frequency slice granularity, and the optical carrier information includes: the number of optical carriers in the media channel, bit rates of the optical carriers in the media channel, modulation formats of the optical carriers in the media channel, NCFs of the optical carriers in the media channel, slot widths of the optical carriers in the media channel and a multiplexing method for the optical carriers. |
| US09979486B2 |
Apparatus for modular implementation of multi-function active optical cables
Apparatus enabling modular implementation of active optical cable (AOC) with multiple integrated functions including: integration of different types of data on the AOC via media conversion; distribution of electrical power over the AOC; electrical multiplexing data channels for optical fibers; integration of voltage regulators enabling AOC operation at different supply voltages; integration of voltage regulators to provide stable, low noise power source; ruggedized, blind-mateable electrical connectors; integration of electronics and optoelectronics inside a connector backshell; implementation of health monitoring and test channel enabling monitoring, test, and control of both ends of the AOC and monitoring and control of upstream systems and components; and enabling a form, fit, function replacement of existing electrical cables to improve SWaP, electromagnetic interference resiliency, length-bandwidth product, electromagnetic pulse resistance, signal integrity, system reliability, testability and maintenance. AOCs are customized for different connectors, pin-outs, electrical data combinations, power distribution and power supplies with minimal redesign/requalification. |
| US09979481B2 |
Bidirectional data communications cable
A bidirectional data communications cable is disclosed. The cable includes first connector, second connector, and cable housing coupled to the first and second connectors. The first connector includes a controller configured to determine whether the first connector is connected to a data source or data sink. If connected to a data source, the controller configures a switch circuit to route a data signal from the data source to an optical modulator for modulating an optical signal for transmission from the first to the second connector via an optical fiber. If connected to a data sink, the controller configures the switch circuit to route a data signal from an optical demodulator to the data sink, the optical demodulator receiving an optical signal modulated with the data signal from the second connector via an optical fiber. The second connector is configured similar to the first connector. The cable housing encloses the optical fibers. |
| US09979479B2 |
Data communications cable with wireline capacitance compensation
A communications cable is disclosed. The cable includes a first circuit configured to receive electrical data signals from a data source via an input connector, and convert the electrical data signals into optical signals for transmission by way of one or more optical fibers. The cable includes a second circuit configured to convert the optical signals received via the one or more optical fibers back to electrical data signals for providing to a data sink via an output connector. The cable includes a third circuit for applying pre- and post-signal conditioning to bi-directional control data for transmission to and received from the data sink via wires. The cable includes a fourth circuit for applying pre- and post-signal conditioning to bi-directional control data for transmission to and received from the data source via wires. The pre- and post-signal conditioning compensate for capacitance and/or resistance effects on the signals introduced by the wires. |
| US09979477B2 |
Method for driving a light source, a driver system to drive a light source and a luminaire comprising said light source and driver system
A method for driving a light source includes the following steps: a. providing a code to be transmitted by the light source; b. converting the code into a sequence of different current levels, which current levels are maintained for a predetermined period of time; and c. providing the sequence of different current levels to the light source such that the light source emits light at different intensity levels, where driving the light source is carried out using a set-point update rate having a set-point update period, and where transitions between the different current levels take more than one set-point update period. |
| US09979476B2 |
Techniques for indoor navigation with hazard avoidance via light-based communication
Techniques are disclosed for enhancing indoor navigation using light-based communication (LCom). In some embodiments, an LCom-enabled luminaire configured as described herein may include or have access to a sensor configured to detect a hazardous condition. In response to detection of a hazard, the LCom-enabled luminaire may adjust its light output, transmit an LCom signal, or both, in accordance with some embodiments. A given LCom signal may include data that may be utilized by a recipient computing device, for example, in providing emergency evacuation routing or other indoor navigation with hazard avoidance, emergency assistance, or both. In a network of such luminaires, data distribution via inter-luminaire communication may be provided, in accordance with some embodiments, via an optical interface or other wired or wireless communication means. In some cases, the network may include a luminaire that is not LCom-enabled yet still configured for inter-luminaire communication. |
| US09979468B2 |
Optical communication system, optical node device, and optical path setting method
It is difficult in an optical network to achieve fault recovery in case of multiple failures without decreasing the usage efficiency of the optical network; therefore, an optical communication system according to an exemplary aspect of the present invention includes an optical network management device including an optical path setting means for setting, to a physical route differing from each other, a backup path corresponding to each of a plurality of active paths on an identical physical route, and a failure-case optical path setting means for setting a failure-case backup path with a compressed band of the backup path, to a physical route without a failure in a case where failures arising on more than one physical route among the physical routes; and an optical node device including an optical transceiver means for transmitting and receiving optical signals using failure-case backup path information resulting from setting by the failure-case optical path setting means. |
| US09979467B1 |
Troposcatter communications system
A method of implementing troposcatter communications is provided. Transmittal of signals between receive and transmit antennas is performed in the time domain. After reception of a transmitted signal, the signal is converted to the frequency domain for signal processing. After signal processing, the signal is converted back into the time domain. |
| US09979466B2 |
Reverse wireless broadband system
A communication system uses resources (including a first signal path and a second signal path) in a first roundtrip direction for a first set of gateways and subscriber terminals while concurrently using the same resources (including the first signal path and the second signal path) in a second roundtrip direction for a second set of gateways and subscriber terminals. |
| US09979462B2 |
Resilient virtual ground receivers
An apparatus includes a storage device configured to store location information of multiple receivers and auxiliary data associated with a space vehicle. A motion compensation block configured to correct timing of a received signal by a receiver from a space-vehicle transmitter and to generate a motion-compensated signal having corrected timing for motions of the space-vehicle transmitter. The corrected timing is determined based on stored location information of the receiver and the auxiliary data. The frequency correction block is configured to correct a carrier frequency of the motion-compensated signal using information associated with a synch channel of the received signal and to generate a processed signal. |
| US09979460B2 |
System for maximizing gain in a repeater
An antenna system includes a donor antenna sub-system, a server antenna sub-system, and a processor to optimize the gain of the repeater in the system. The gain in the antenna system is increased by optimizing the isolation between the donor and/or server antenna sub-systems according to a cost function. |
| US09979458B1 |
Precoder design for combining high-end RF with constrained RF of massive MIMO antennas
A method includes mapping a signal desired by at least one receiver to a projection area based at least on a functionality corresponding to one or more first radio frequency chains coupled to a plurality of first antennas; selecting precoding coefficients for at least one of one or more second radio frequency chains coupled to a plurality of second antennas to generate a signal point within the projection area; and compensating for a difference between the generated signal point and the signal desired by the at least one receiver using at least one of the first radio frequency chains, wherein the second radio frequency chains have a reduced functionality relative to the functionality of the first radio frequency chains, and wherein the first and second set of antennas are different. |
| US09979457B2 |
Multi-beamforming training
A method and apparatus for performing a beamforming training for a multiple input multiple output (MIMO) operation in a wireless local area network is provided. The apparatus assigns at least one of a plurality of sector groups with respect to each of a plurality of array antennas. The apparatus determines a sector used for a data transmission during a sector sweep by transmitting a plurality of sector sweep messages in the plurality of sector groups through the plurality of array antennas to responders simultaneously. |
| US09979452B2 |
Method for multi-user transmission in a wireless local area network and device for same
The present disclosure relates to the operation and configuration of a station and an access point in a wireless LAN (WLAN) system, and more particularly, to a method for efficiently performing multi-user transmission by a station or an access point in a WLAN system and a device for the same. In particular, the present disclosure proposes a method and device for operating a station or an access point supporting multi-user transmission in a Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) scheme or a Multi-User Multi Input Multi Output (MU-MIMO) scheme. |
| US09979450B2 |
Adaptive codeword and codeblock selection in wireless communications
A transmitter may initiate multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications with a receiver in which a number of codewords used in MIMO transmissions may be selected to provide enhanced communications for a particular service that is associated with the MIMO transmission. In cases where a lower-latency service is identified, a MIMO transmission may be configured with one codeword transmitted over multiple spatial layers, which may provide lower processing latency at a receiver relative to processing of multiple codewords. In cases where a mobile broadband service is identified, a MIMO transmission configured with two (or more) codewords may be transmitted over multiple spatial layers, which may provide increased data throughput relative to a single codeword MIMO transmission. A codeblock size for a transmission also may be selected based at least in part on a service associated with the transmission. |
| US09979446B2 |
Method for WiFi beamforming, feedback, and sounding (WiBEAM)
Methods for WiFi beamforming, feedback, and sounding (WiBEAM) are described. Codebook based beamforming feedback signaling and sounding mechanisms for use in wireless communications are disclosed. The methods described herein improve the feedback efficiency by using Givens rotation based decompositions and quantizing the resulting angles of the Givens rotation based decompositions using a range from a subset of [0, 2π]. Feedback may also be divided into multiple components to improve feedback efficiency/accuracy. Time domain beamforming reports for taking advantage of channel reciprocity while still taking into account practical radio frequency (RF) channel impairments are also described. Beamforming feedback that prioritized the feedback bits in accordance with the significance of the bits is also disclosed. A preamble structure to enable the use of smoothing methods for improved channel estimation, codebook designs that may be used for codebook based beamforming feedback, and multi-resolution explicit feedback are disclosed as well. |
| US09979438B2 |
Controlling a media device using a mobile device
Techniques for automatically configuring and controlling a digital media device are described. A digital media device can be configured or controlled by a mobile device, e.g., a smart mobile phone. When the digital media device is being configured, the digital media device can broadcast a signal, indicating that the digital media device is requesting configuration information from a mobile device. A mobile device located in proximity of the digital media device, upon detecting the signal, can perform various security checks to determine that the request is legitimate, and then open a communication channel with the digital media device. The mobile device can provide user preferences of the mobile device, as well as credentials for accessing and downloading remote content, to the digital media device through the communication channel. Upon receiving the configuration information, the digital media device can use parameters in the configuration information as its settings. |
| US09979436B2 |
Automatic gain control over copper pairs using daisy-chained amplifiers
An apparatus and method to automatically adjust a gain of an analog signal adapted to be transmitted over a twisted pair of telephone lines between a first end (e.g., a DSLAM), and a second end (e.g., a modem), is described. The apparatus comprises an amplifier, and a control mechanism. The amplifier receives the analog signal from a respective first or second end, and transmits the received analog signal in the respective downstream or upstream direction. The control mechanism, which preferably is operative only during a train or re-train mode, senses whether the analog signal is within a specified amplitude range associated with a receiver at the respective second end or first end, and, responsive to a determination that the analog signal is not within the specified amplitude range, determines and generates a control signal. The control signal is operative to adjust a gain of the amplifier to a determined value. |
| US09979434B2 |
Blanking using signal-based thresholding schemes
An apparatus comprising a blanker configured to provide a plurality of blanked signals, each blanked signal corresponding to a respective correlator channel signal of a plurality of correlator channel signals. The correlator channel signal is obtainable based on the respective blanked signal and a respective signal replica of a plurality of signal replicas, the signal replicas being shifted with respect to each other. The blanker is configured to obtain each blanked signal based on applying a respective thresholding scheme to a respective signal component of a plurality of signal components derived from a received spread-spectrum signal. The respective thresholding scheme is based on the respective signal component and the signal replica based on which the correlator channel signal corresponding to the respective blanked signal is obtainable. A receiver comprising such an apparatus is provided as is a method comprising providing a plurality of blanked signals. |
| US09979431B2 |
Protective case for mobile device having cover with opaque and transparent regions
A protective case for a mobile device is disclosed. The protective case includes a front cover and a back cover that is comprised of a shell, which together are configured to receive, retain, cover and protect the mobile device. The shell is configured to receive and retain the mobile device while providing user access to the mobile device. The shell has an outer surface configured to attach to a hinge member which in turn attaches to the front cover. The front cover includes an opaque main region that is configured to overlie the main touchscreen interface region and a generally curved and transparent side region that is configured to overlie a separate touchscreen interface region. When closed the cover is configured to allow for user interaction with the underlying covered screen. The user interaction may be via capacitive and/or mechanical pressure interaction with the touchscreen. |
| US09979429B2 |
Mobile phone case with enhanced grip area and reduced grip area
Embodiments are directed to a mobile phone case adapted in size and shape to removably fit around the exterior of a mobile phone. The mobile phone case comprises an enhanced grip area and a reduced grip area. The enhanced grip area has increased grip as compared to the reduced grip area. The enhanced grip area comprises substantially all of the area of the outer perimeter of the case. |
| US09979426B2 |
Watch-type mobile terminal including antenna
A watch-type mobile terminal including an antenna is provided. The watch-type mobile terminal may include a body configuring an external appearance of a watch and operating as a loop antenna, a plurality of feeding units applying each of a plurality of communication signals to the loop antenna, and a ground part connected to a ground of the watch. In this case, the body may include a metal housing connected to the ground part and corresponding to an outer loop, a metal bezel connected to the plurality of feeding units and corresponding to the inner loop, and a slot member disposed between the metal housing and the metal bezel to electrically disconnect the metal housing from the metal bezel. An antenna for providing a plurality of communication services may be provided. |
| US09979424B2 |
Signal detection method and device
A signal detection method includes: retrieving a first period component of a signal and at least one second period component adjacent to the first period component; squaring a subtraction result of the first period component and each of the at least one second period component to calculate at least one first square value to further obtain a first detection parameter; squaring an addition result of the first period component and each of the at least one second period component to calculate at least one second square value to further obtain a second detection parameter; dividing the second detection parameter by the first detection parameter to obtain a detection function; determining that the signal is detected when the value of the detection function is greater than or equal to a threshold, or else determining that the signal is not detected. |
| US09979418B2 |
Method and device for transmitting information over a communication channel with variable impedance
A method includes digital/analog conversion of a digital signal modulated by information to provide a modulated initial analog signal having a crest factor greater than one, and amplification of the initial analog signal to provide an amplified modulated signal. A modulated channel analog signal derived from the modulated amplified analog signal is transmitted over a communications channel, with impedance of the communications channel varying during the transmission. The method further includes at least one determination during the transmission of a peak-clipping rate of the amplified analog signal over at least one time interval, and an adjustment of a level of the initial analog signal as a function of the determined peak-clipping rate. |
| US09979417B2 |
Enhanced chip-kill schemes by using ECC syndrome pattern
Memory systems may include a memory storage, and a controller suitable for receiving a plurality of codewords, determining whether each codeword is decodable, estimating a location of an error in a codeword determined to be undecodable by calculating a syndrome of the undecodable codeword when at least two codewords of the plurality of codewords are determined to be undecodable, performing error recovery on the undecodable codewords, and hard decoding the plurality of codewords including the error recovered codewords. |
| US09979415B2 |
Data compression apparatus, data decompression apparatus, data compression method, data compression method, and computer readable medium
A data compression apparatus of the invention includes a data acquisition unit to acquire n integers from encoding data, an integer division unit to divide each integer of the n integers into a second integer represented by low-order bits whose number of divided bits is b and a first integer represented by high-order bits obtained by excluding the low-order bits from each integer of the n integers and to output n first integers and n second integers, a first encoding unit to encode and output the n first integers as a first code represented by binary data having a number of bits that is a natural-number times the number of unit bits of L, and a second encoding unit to encode and output the n second integers as a second code. |
| US09979413B2 |
Improving communication efficiency
There is provided a method for uplink data compression, the method including transforming a signal from a time-domain presentation into a frequency-domain presentation, selecting a group of adjacent frequency bins from the frequency-domain presentation, generating a floating point number representation from values of the group of adjacent frequency bins, wherein the floating point number representation includes a mantissa for each of the frequency bins' values of the group of adjacent frequency bins, and wherein the floating point number representation further includes a common exponent shared between the mantissas, and outputting the mantissas of the floating point number representation, and the value of the common exponent shared between the mantissas of the floating point number representation. |
| US09979408B2 |
Apparatus and methods for phase synchronization of phase-locked loops
Apparatus and methods for phase synchronization of phase-locked loops (PLLs) are provided. In certain configurations, an RF communication system includes a PLL that generates one or more output clock signals and a phase synchronization circuit that synchronizes a phase of the PLL. The phase synchronization circuit includes a sampling circuit that generates samples by sampling the one or more output clock signals based on timing of a reference clock signal. Additionally, the phase synchronization circuit includes a phase difference calculation circuit that generates a phase difference signal based on the samples and a tracking digital phase signal representing the phase of the PLL. The phase synchronization circuit further includes a phase adjustment control circuit that provides a phase adjustment to the PLL based on the phase difference signal so as to synchronize the PLL. |
| US09979405B1 |
Adaptively reconfigurable time-to-digital converter for digital phase-locked loops
A digital PLL is disclosed. In one embodiment, the digital PLL includes a TDC coupled to receive a reference clock signal and feedback signal. The TDC includes a chain of serially-coupled delay elements. An oscillator in the PLL is configured to generate a periodic output signal. A divider is coupled to receive the periodic output signal and generate the feedback signal provided to the TDC. The digital PLL also includes a control circuit. During a phase-locking procedure, each of the serially-coupled delay elements is enabled for fast phase capture. However, once phase-lock has been detected by observing TDC output code, the control circuit is adaptively configured to disable all but a subset of the delay elements for saving power. |
| US09979404B1 |
Multi-phase amplitude and phase modulation
A technique that reduces or eliminates trading-off power amplifier efficiency and costly external filtering in amplitude and phase modulated sinusoidal signal generation uses multi-phase outphasing and a multi-phase switching mode power amplifier to generate the amplitude and phase modulated sinusoidal signals. The technique combines multiple clock phases with sinusoidally weighted circuits of the switching mode power amplifier to improve amplitude and phase modulated sinusoidal signal generation. |
| US09979403B1 |
Reference clock architecture for integrated circuit device
A clocking arrangement for transceivers in an integrated circuit device includes a plurality of fractionally adjustable phase-locked loops. Each respective one of the fractionally adjustable phase-locked loops generates a respective transmit frequency for a respective one of the transceivers. There is a respective clock-data recovery module in a receive portion of each respective one of the transceivers, and each respective clock-data recovery module includes a respective fractionally adjustable frequency-lock loop. There is a reference clock input providing a reference clock for a plurality of the fractionally adjustable phase-locked loops and the fractionally adjustable frequency-lock loops. The reference clock input can be a sole reference clock input providing a reference clock for all of the adjustable phase-locked frequency-lock loops. Alternatively, the reference clock input can include a plurality of separate reference clock inputs, each providing a separate reference clock to a predetermined subset of the adjustable phase-locked or frequency-lock loops. |
| US09979398B2 |
Buffer circuit and electronic device using same
A buffer circuit includes a buffer group including an odd number of cascade buffers, where the buffers may be different from each other; a PMOS transistor and an NMOS transistor; where a source of the PMOS transistor is coupled to a power source, a drain thereof is connected to an output terminal of the buffer group, and a gate thereof is connected to an input terminal of the buffer group; a source of the NMOS transistor is coupled to ground, a drain thereof is connected to the output terminal of the buffer group, and a gate thereof is connected to the input terminal of the buffer group. |
| US09979396B1 |
Bidirectional analog multiplexer
An analog multiplexer includes inputs and one output. A switching circuit is coupled between each input and the output. Each switching circuit includes an NMOS switching module, having an on state and an off state, and a control module supplied by a first supply voltage and operating to reduce leakage currents of the NMOS switching module when in the off state. The control module further operates to make the first NMOS switching module bidirectional irrespective of voltages present at the input and at the output. |
| US09979394B2 |
Pulse-generator
The apparatus may include a first latch configured to store a first state or a second state. The first latch may have a first latch input, one of a set input or a reset input, a first pulse clock input, and a first latch output. The first latch input may be coupled to a fixed logic value. The one of the set input or the reset input may be coupled to a clock signal or an inverted clock signal, respectively. The apparatus may include an AND gate having a first AND gate input, a second AND gate input, and a first AND gate output. The clock signal may be coupled to the first AND gate input. The first latch output may be coupled to the second AND gate input. The AND gate output may be configured to output a pulsed clock. The pulsed clock may be coupled to the first pulse clock input. |
| US09979393B2 |
Low power consumption logic cell
The invention relates to a logic cell for an integrated circuit including at least one first variable-capacitance capacitor having first and second main electrodes separated by an insulating region, and a third control electrode capable of receiving a control voltage referenced to a reference node of the cell to vary the capacitance between the first and second main electrodes, the third electrode being coupled to a node of application of a first logic input signal of the cell, and the first and second electrodes being respectively coupled to a node of application of a cell power supply voltage and to a node for supplying a logic output signal of the cell. |
| US09979387B2 |
High speed and high voltage driver
Systems, methods, and apparatus for biasing a high speed and high voltage driver using only low voltage transistors are described. The apparatus and method are adapted to control biasing voltages to the low voltage transistors such as not to exceed operating voltages of the low voltage transistors while allowing for DC to high speed operation of the driver at high voltage. A stackable and modular architecture of the driver and biasing stages is provided which can grow with a higher voltage requirement of the driver. Capacitive voltage division is used for high speed bias voltage regulation during transient phases of the driver, and resistive voltage division is used to provide bias voltage at steady state. A simpler open-drain configuration is also presented which can be used in pull-up or pull-down modes. |
| US09979386B2 |
Semiconductor device, method for driving the same, and electronic appliance
A semiconductor device that suppresses operation delay due to stop and restart of the supply of a power supply potential is provided. A potential corresponding to data held while power supply potential is continuously supplied is backed up in a node connected to a capacitor while the supply of the power supply potential is stopped. Then, by utilizing change in resistance of a channel in a transistor whose gate is the node, the data is restored with restart of the supply of the power supply potential. Note that by supplying a high potential to the node before the data back up, high-speed and accurate data back up is possible. |
| US09979382B1 |
Programmable duty-cycle low jitter differential clock buffer
A method of detecting clock duty cycle and adjusting clock duty cycle to achieve a clock with low jitters, low noise, high common mode rejection and high power supply rejection for sampling circuit. Adjusting the duty cycle of the sampling clock can enhance data converter's performance. |
| US09979376B2 |
Integrated tunable impedance network
A tunable impedance network includes at least one variable impedance bank comprising a plurality of digitally controlled unit cells each connected from at least a first end to a routing wire. The tunable impedance network is provided with selection means arranged for selecting, based on a desired impedance, a corresponding predetermined digital control signal to be supplied to the variable impedance bank to switch-on a corresponding combination of the unit cells. Between each pair of unit cells in the variable impedance bank, a routing wire section is provided having a respective routing impedance. Each of the predetermined digital control signals is provided for switching-on a combination of unit cells in such a way that the routing impedance of the routing wire section is exploited to fine-tune the actual impedance generated by the variable impedance bank. |
| US09979375B2 |
Multi-harmonic matching networks
A communication matching network for multi-harmonic suppression includes a communication circuit configured to provide a signal. The communication matching network further includes a matching circuit configured to receive the signal from the communication circuit and suppress one or more harmonics of the received signal to generate a filtered signal, wherein the matching circuit includes a transformer comprising a first winding and a second winding, wherein the first winding includes a first inductance and the second winding includes a second inductance and wherein the matching network includes a harmonic trap including a third inductance such that the third inductance is located inside or within a physical layout of the first winding and/or the second winding. The communication matching network further includes a receiver circuit configured to receive the filtered signal from the matching circuit for further processing. |
| US09979372B2 |
Reconfigurable microwave filters
Illustrative embodiments of reconfigurable microwave filters, as well as associated systems and methods, are disclosed. In at least one illustrative embodiment, a reconfigurable microwave filter may comprise a plurality of cavity resonators on a common substrate and a plurality of control circuits each configured to control a resonant frequency of one of the plurality of cavity resonators. The reconfigurable microwave filter may also comprise a plurality of feedback circuits each configured to generate a feedback signal that is indicative of the resonant frequency of one of the plurality of cavity resonators and to transmit the feedback signal to one of the plurality of control circuits. |
| US09979369B2 |
Audio peak limiting
An audio peak limiter apparatus which calculates a smoothed sequence of gains for application to a sequence of blocks of samples of an audio signal. The apparatus sometimes calculates a candidate gain, to replace a too-large smoothed gain, such that applying the candidate gain would produce no scaled sample whose magnitude exceeds a predetermined limit. The apparatus sometimes calculates and stores a final gain to replace the too-large smoothed gain (where the final gain can be obtained e.g. by dividing the to-be-replaced smoothed gain by a prior smoothed gain and multiplying the result by the corresponding prior final gain), if it is determined that the candidate gain is not less than the immediately previous final gain. |
| US09979368B1 |
Method for automatically lowering a playing volume and electronic device performing the same
A method for automatically lowering the playing volume is disclosed. The method includes the following steps of: obtaining a first value according to a first playing volume and a first accumulated playing time of a sound player; determining whether the first value reaches a first threshold value; if yes, then lowering the first playing volume of the sound player to a second playing volume; obtaining a second value according to the second playing volume and a second accumulated playing time of the sound player; determining whether the second value reaches a second threshold value; if yes, then lowering the second playing volume of the sound player again, wherein the second threshold value is less than the first threshold value. |
| US09979367B2 |
Circuit and method of operating a circuit
A circuit having a first amplifier with a variable gain, a second amplifier with a variable gain configured to provide an output signal, a control unit, a memory element, and a switching member. The control unit is configured to adjust the variable gain of the first amplifier and the variable gain of the second amplifier. The memory element is configured to store a sample of the output signal. The switching member is configured to connect an output port of the circuit to either the second amplifier or to the memory element. A method of operating this circuit is also disclosed. |
| US09979358B1 |
Differential amplifier with extended bandwidth and THD reduction
The present invention is directed to electrical circuits. More specifically, an embodiment of the present invention provides a differential amplifier in cascode configuration. An input transistor is coupled to an output transistor via a peaking inductor. The output transistor is also directly coupled to a degeneration resistor. There are other embodiments as well. |
| US09979356B2 |
Magnetically coupled load modulation
A method, packaged semiconductor device, and system for controlling a secondary amplifier output current based on an input signal received from an amplifier input, converting electrical energy to magnetic energy at a secondary amplifier output inductor, coupling the magnetic energy from the secondary amplifier output inductor to a primary amplifier output inductor, converting the coupled magnetic energy to induced electrical energy at the primary amplifier output inductor, combining the induced electrical energy with output electrical energy from a primary amplifier gain element, and applying a combined electrical energy including the output electrical energy and the induced electrical energy to a primary amplifier load are provided. |
| US09979355B2 |
Modifiable signal adjustment devices for power amplifiers and corresponding methods and apparatus
An embodiment of an amplifier system includes a modifiable signal adjustment device with an RF signal adjustment circuit coupled between first and second nodes. The RF signal adjustment circuit includes an adjustable phase shifter and an adjustable attenuator coupled in series with each other. The device also includes a memory and a controller circuit. The controller circuit retrieves a phase shift value and an attenuation value from the memory. The controller circuit then controls the adjustable phase shifter to apply a phase shift corresponding to the phase shift value to an input RF signal received at the first node, and controls the adjustable attenuator to apply an attenuation corresponding to the attenuation value to the input RF signal. Applying the phase shift and the attenuation results in an output RF signal at the second node. |
| US09979353B2 |
High efficiency variable voltage supply
Aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to a power supply for generating an output supply voltage. The power supply generally includes a variable voltage supply configured to generate an intermediate supply voltage based on a reference signal, a correction circuit configured to generate an error signal based on the output supply voltage or the intermediate supply voltage, and a combiner configured to combine the intermediate supply voltage and the error signal to provide the output supply voltage. |
| US09979349B2 |
Multi-band device having multiple miniaturized single-band power amplifiers
Multi-band device having multiple miniaturized single-band power amplifiers. In some embodiments, a power amplifier die can include a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of power amplifiers (PAs) implemented on the semiconductor substrate. Each PA can be configured to drive approximately a characteristic load impedance of a downstream component along an individual frequency band signal path, such that each PA is sized smaller than a wide band PA configured to drive more than one of the frequency bands associated with the plurality of PAs. The downstream component can include an output filter. |
| US09979342B2 |
Switch reluctance motor wide speed-regulation range cross-control method
A switch reluctance motor wide speed-regulation range cross-control method, the switch reluctance motor wide speed-regulation range control system consisting of a revolving speed regulator, a current chopper controller, an angle position controller, a chopper counter, a comparison selector and two resettable constant registers; the chopper counter counts the current chopping number of each electrical period, and according to the comparison result between a counting value of the chopper counter and a constant value set by the two constant registers, the comparison selector selects the current chopper controller or the angle position controller, such that when in the three phases of low revolving speed, medium revolving speed and high revolving speed or in the runtime of acceleration, deceleration and uniform velocity, the current chopper controller and the angle position controller can automatically switch, and seamlessly connect without being affected by load change, and switching from a turn-on angle to a turn-off angle will not cause fluctuation of torque or revolving speed of a switch reluctance motor, thus the switch reluctance motor system runs stably and has good value for engineering application. |
| US09979340B2 |
Apparatus for controlling three phase rotary electric machine reducing peak value of phase current
A control apparatus for driving a three-phase rotary electric machine that generates torque including magnet torque and reluctance torque is provided. AC current supplied to two winding groups of the rotary electric machine have the same amplitude and the mutually different phases defined as 30±60×n[deg]. The control unit calculates d-axis current and q-axis current of 6 (2k+1)th order component superposed on a fundamental wave component on dq coordinate, to reduce a peak of the first order component in the phase current, thereby controlling the three-phase rotary electric machine. The control unit calculates current such that an amplitude of the q-axis current of the 6 (2k+1)th order component is larger than an amplitude of the d-axis current of the 6 (2k+1)th order component. |
| US09979339B2 |
Synchronous electric power distribution startup system
A system includes one or more synchronous generators mechanically coupled to an excitation system. The excitation system is configured to output an excitation signal to excite the synchronous generator to produce a voltage and a current at an output of the synchronous generator. During startup of the synchronous generator, the excitation system may also output pulses of the excitation signal to initiate synchronism of one or more non-rotating electric motors electrically coupled to the synchronous generator. In addition, the pulses may be output to urge rotation of the non-rotating electric motors into rotational electrical alignment with the synchronous generator and each other. |
| US09979337B2 |
Method of loadshedding for a variable speed, constant frequency generator
A method of controlling operation of a variable speed, constant frequency generator system is disclosed. During operation, loads may be added to or removed from the output of the generator system. A controller monitors the power output by the generator system and detects a change in the output power exceeding a predefined threshold. The change indicates the addition of a large electrical load. The controller quickly detects the change in power output and activates a relay to disconnect the load from the generator system. The controller then accelerates the engine of the generator system to maximum speed and reconnects the load to the output of the generator system. |
| US09979330B2 |
Three-phase motor control apparatus
A three-phase motor control apparatus includes a monitor unit, a three-phase synthesis unit, and a feedback unit. The monitor unit generates monitor voltages derived from output voltages of output transistors having terminals electrically connected to drive coils of respective phases of a three-phase motor. The three-phase synthesis unit converts the monitor voltages into currents and generates a combined current therefrom. The feedback unit generates a feedback signal based on the combined current and feeds the feedback signal back to an output controller that generate control signals for the output transistors based on the feedback signal. |